Frankferd Farms was a stop on the Butler Harvest Solar Tour on Saturday featuring residential, business and public buildings in Butler County.

T. Lyle Ferderber is a solar pioneer.

“The reason they are cheaper now is because people like us made that investment,” said Ferderber, founder and owner of Frankferd Farms Organic Foods. “People like us who did it help create the market for more to be made and the prices to go down.”

Ferderber bought the farm in Valencia in 1980 from his father, who originally purchased it in 1955.

The barn, which is about 150 years old, has a grid-tied solar panel system on its roof that powers a solar-power flower mill, he said. One meter controls the whole farm.

“Today we are making more power than we need so it's going back onto the grid,” he said.

Ferderber decided to go solar in 2011 to counterpoint fracking in the area and for the economic benefits, he said.

Frankferd Farms was one of the locations on the Butler Harvest Solar Tour that 27 solar tourists traveled to by bus Saturday. The stops showcased solar installations across the county and aimed to demonstrate how residential, business and public buildings across Butler County have been harvesting solar energy and generating savings. The tour was guided by solar experts who helped them learn how they might go solar at their own home or business.

Tourists had the opportunity to see a typical single-family home with solar panels, a small cider press that uses solar to power its operation and a sustainable home with a variety of electricity options.

“These are people that are interested in solar,” said Lou Hancherick with Re-Imagine Butler County. “Skeptics will say we don't have enough sun, solar's too expensive, but a tour like this dispels those false notions.”

Re-Imagine Butler County, a group of citizens concerned about the future of Butler County and advocates for sustainability, teamed with Solar United Neighbors to provide the tour as part of the 24th Annual National Solar Tour, Hancherick said.

As part of the tour, hundreds of people who have gone solar across the nation will open their homes and business to engage with communities. It is touted as the largest grassroots renewable energy event in the nation.

The tour is a first for Butler County to raise awareness about existing solar options and give people the tools to go solar, said Henry McKay, the Solar United Neighbors of Pennsylvania program director.

Compared to Beaver County, which has between 200 to 300 solar installations, and Allegheny County that boasts 2,000 solar installations, Butler County trails at about 50 solar installations. This is, in part, because of a lack of awareness, McKay said.Although money is spent up front, the savings and return are seen over time, McKay said.A person also has control and knows where the energy comes from versus being at the mercy of a power company, he said.Technology has improved efficiency and cost and is constantly changing, he said. Another change is the related technology and how it interacts with objects, including electric cars that can be charged from solar panels.Over the past 30 years, the price has dropped, McKay said.Another way to save is to sell excess energy back to the utility company. Net metering is the policy that allows people with solar to get a credit on their electric bill for the energy they produce from their system.One misconception people have is that they will only have power when the sun is shining.“It doesn't work like that,” he said. “A vast majority remain connected to an electric grid.”Electricity is drawn from what the panels generate when the sun is shining, he said. When power transitions from solar to electric, it's not noticeable.In Butler County, people have the opportunity to make the solar switch now with the Beaver-Butler Solar Co-op. A solar co-op is a group of homeowners in a defined geographic area who use their combined purchasing power to ensure they receive the most competitive solar installation price. Members have access to solar experts to guide them through the installation process and understand topics like the value of their solar, local policies and financing options.Terra Ferderber, special projects manager for Frankferd Farms, said solar aligns with the business's natural and organic products. The tour gives attendees a glimpse into the accessibility of solar power, she said.People should consider sustainable alternatives in the future, she added, as renewable energy is key to a prosperous, sustainable future.“Right now we are at a critical point,” Ferderber said. “If we don't consider the necessity of sustainability, we will all pay in more ways than one.”

T. Lyle Ferderber, founder and owner of Frankferd Farms Organic Foods, explains the solar power on his farm in Valencia on Saturday.