Each year, the Green Energy Ohio presents Green Achievement Awards to individuals, businesses, universities, nonprofits, and government and community entities for the work they have accomplished in advancing GEO’s mission. They are the innovators, collaborators, educators, and leaders in their respective fields throughout Ohio, and we are proud to honor them. Although we prefer to celebrate in person, this year we are congratulating them online.
For 2021, we have chosen to recognize the people, organizations, and communities who partnered with us on the GEO Statewide Electric Vehicle Tour in June. Selections were voted on by members of the EV Tour Working Group from a list of entities with a direct connection to the EV sector and who either sponsored the Tour or hosted an event. The criteria inevitably meant that many fun and informative sites were not on the list of nominees, but we recognize them all as great partners! You will see that there were ties in two categories — Business and Academia.
Green Achievement Award for Business: Sway Mobility
Sway Mobility designs and operates electric vehicle carshare networks for partners such as cities, neighborhoods, businesses, and nonprofits. Providing greater access to mobility and ensuring that it is equitable and affordable results in greater access to resources, jobs, amenities, and the things many of us take for granted.
Starting with as little as one car, Sway can help an organization pilot EV carshare to immediately experience the benefits of lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduced parking demand, and increased familiarity with EVs. Examples of Sway’s networks include workforce development programs, multi-family properties, college campuses, and neighborhood programs in Detroit, Oberlin, and Cleveland.
Green Achievement Award for Business: Electrada
Electrada was created to accelerate electric mobility for all by handling everything organizations need to power electric vehicles. “Everything” includes funding the charging infrastructure, on-site energy, and the installation and maintenance of all charging components.
Electrada does all of this through a performance-backed, predictably-priced electric fuel contract with their customers, designed to provide immediate and long-term “cost-per-mile” fuel savings. By taking away the capital costs associated with charging and taking on the energy and performance risks of powering an EV, Electrada makes the conversion decision easy for organizations who want their clean transportation future to begin now.
Green Achievement Award for a Nonprofit: Clean Fuels Ohio
Established in 2002, Clean Fuels Ohio is a non-profit organization dedicated to making Ohio a cleaner, healthier, and more prosperous state. In addition to partnering with organizations to implement advanced fuel solutions and vehicle technologies, they are helping to build a state-wide fueling and charging infrastructure that supports these efforts.
Their Drive Electric Ohio initiative is dedicated to advancing the adoption of electric vehicles with the help of dedicated volunteers who organize Ride and Drive events and educate consumers about the advantages of EVs. They work to create incentives and pro-EV policy outcomes by engaging and educating decision-makers about the economic and environmental benefits of electric vehicles.
Green Achievement Award in Community & Government: Shaker Heights, Ohio
Shaker Heights is a diverse community of over 28,000 residents, a mix of newcomers from across the globe and long-time residents. Quality of life is ensured by green space, nationally recognized public and private schools, and a commitment to serving the community through the pursuit of sustainability. Shaker Heights was the first city in the region to adopt a 100 percent renewable energy plan.
In October, the City Council unanimously adopted a resolution to join Power A Clean Future Ohio (PFCO), furthering efforts already underway by the City to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to achieving LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED for Cities and Communities program, they have undertaken efforts to implement sustainable practices across City departments and to provide multiple resources to assist residents and businesses.
Green Achievement Award for Academia: Sinclair College Tesla Training Program
Sinclair College offers more than 300 degree and certificate programs to an enrollment of over 30,000 students. In the last four years, more than 26,000 technical credentials have been earned by Sinclair students, including through the Tesla START Program. Sinclair is one of eight Tesla training centers nationwide and the only one in the Midwest.
Upon completion of the training, Tesla works with successful students to find job placement at a Tesla Service Center in North America. In addition to their Dayton campus, Sinclair offers classes online and at five regional centers, including the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. More residents from across an eight-county region in Southwest Ohio study at Sinclair than at any other institution.
Green Achievement Award for Academia: The University of Akron Zips Racing Team
Zips Racing Electric is the Formula SAE electric team of The University of Akron and raced its first car in 2019. It made an immediate impact by finishing 6th overall in Toronto and 5th overall in Lincoln, Nebraska. The team was founded to provide students with hands on experience and to demonstrate how what they learn in class can be applied to working in industry.
Each year students design and build a racecar to compete in competitions around the world. Competitions are separated into two categories – static and dynamic. The different categories were designed to encourage students to evaluate the entire engineering process from producing a race car to selling it. The University of Akron is home to the only Formula SAE Combustion and Electric teams in Northeast Ohio. The team has competed nationally and internationally against collegiate powerhouses and is consistently ranked among the top winning teams.