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"The two most abundant forms of power on earth are solar and wind, and they're getting cheaper and cheaper." —Ed Begley, Jr. Sending a Hollywood star a referral bonus may be a first for ReVision Energy, but we do have to thank actor Ed Begley, Jr. for inspiring one particular Solar Champion. Bar Harbor resident Peter Ossana read a People Magazine article years ago about Begley’s off-grid home in California, complete with solar and a self-converted electric vehicle, and was immediately intrigued.
"He was trying hard not to use any fossil fuels,” Peter says. “That idea enchanted me.”
Peter built his home on Mount Desert Island 18 years ago, long before that People Magazine article, so he wasn’t focused on optimizing the roofline for a solar array. But even with less-than-perfect orientation, rooftop solar just makes sense.
"It’s cheaper and more efficient than it’s ever been,” says Peter. “Everywhere you look now, you see people putting in solar.”
Living on a well pump system, backup power was always on Peter’s mind, but he wanted to avoid fossil fuels. After chatting with ReVision’s system designers, it became clear that investing in battery storage would give him value and energy independence.
“Rather than spending six or eight thousand dollars on a propane generator, I realized I should be thinking about solar panels and batteries.” In 2021, Peter installed 13 solar panels on the back of his garage along with two Tesla Powerwalls. Since then, his batteries have carried him through 27 power outages.
“Only one outage drained the batteries completely,” he says. “Most outages are under 12 hours, which is no big deal for the batteries to handle.”
“It has been a wonderful experience. I feel more secure. I have adequate power and my well pump works, even if the neighborhood has lost power. The system is so seamless. I wouldn’t even know the power is out except that I hear my neighbor’s generator turn on. I’ve been thrilled by it,” he says. “Truly thrilled.”
Ed Begley Jr. retrofitted his own gas-powered cars into electric in the 1970s. Fortunately for Peter, it is now possible to simply buy an EV, which he did in 2023.
“I don’t even own a gasoline-powered vehicle anymore,” he says. “I drive a Toyota bZ; I had a 2023 model and just traded it for a 2026 with the new battery preconditioning system.” With his EV in the driveway, he wanted to maximize the amount of solar powering his transportation. Just a couple years after his initial installation, he reconnected with ReVision and added an additional 11 panels to his array.
"There are some good public chargers around Bar Harbor, but charging at home is always the most efficient. Now I feel even better knowing more of that charging comes from my own solar array.”
If he was designing a home now, Peter says, he would absolutely incorporate heat pumps and make it fully net-zero. As is, his 18-year-old post-and-beam home is highly insulated, and relies primarily on wood for heating.
“I eventually do plan on getting heat pumps. As global warming continues, the cooling aspect is really going to drive that decision.”
Peter thinks that solar with battery backup is a no-brainer for people living in Maine.
"It gives you a degree of independence from the grid. You don’t need a generator. It bridges you through nasty weather. Even without the tax credits, the value is clear. Energy independence, thinking about how you use energy, the health of the planet . . . all those things add up to a really good deal.”
He doesn’t just recommend solar – he recommends going solar with ReVision Energy. “ReVision was fantastic. For both projects I was kept in the loop the whole way. They put in a ton of work communicating with the utility and were so persistent. I can’t say anything other than positive things about ReVision Energy.”