Solar Powered Charging Station in Portland

EV Charging Station at Farrell & Associates is Live!

Oregon is a eco-friendly state. With electric vehicles (EVs) like the Nissan LEAF arriving this year, it will be getting even greener. One business is getting ready for customers with EVs and plug-in hybrids like the Chevy Volt and Plug-in Prius that are expected in 2012.

The company is Farrell & Associates Inc. They are a real estate and property management company. They hope to attract eco-friendly customers with their new solar array and plug-in car charging station.

Mark Farrell, Principal Broker and Owner of Farrell & Assoc., said that they are doing this to be good neighbors and because it matters to customers in this region. Their business area has several recent green renovations and they are looking to stand out. Solar panels and an EV charging station help them do just that.

The solar photovoltaic (PV) system is made up of 40 solar panels and is 9.8 kilowatts in total. The PV array will generate enough energy to power an EV such as the LEAF nearly 40,000 miles per year. These solar panels are more than enough to charge any cars that plug in here while still greatly reducing the electricity bill of the business.

Solterra Systems installed the solar panels and partnered with Charge Northwest for the plug-in vehicle charging station.

Farrell said that they would not have been able to take these steps without the state and federal incentives.

The charging station has both level 1 and Level 2 charging and is open to the public free of charge!

Name: FARRELL & ASSOC / STATION #1
Address: 4772 N Lombard St, Portland, OR 97203, USA

Photos courtesy of Solterra Systems and Farrell & Associates

Making Portland a Solar City

In a residential area of unincorporated Washington County, west of Portland Oregon, there is a house that is now solar powered.

The owner, Doug, said that the large south-facing roof screamed "SOLAR!!" when he and his wife moved in 10 years ago. The normal bills of life and the quick arrival of two children meant that the solar scream dream would have to wait.

That changed when Doug read about SolarCity in this blog. He researched it and signed up for a program that offered him solar energy for less than what he was paying for wind power and with no money down. "Solar was not something that we could afford. The panels alone would have cost about one-third of the house price. Electricity is cheap here so I could never make that work. However, this program made it a no-brainer for a place like my roof."

We asked Doug a few questions about his experience.

CelticSolar: What does your family think about this?
Doug: My family is all environmentally aware so they all think it’s pretty cool. My favorite moment so far is when my son said “Daddy, with the panels we could turn our house into a space station!”

CS: How big is the system?
D: It’s just under 8kW. The installers said it’s about 3x the size of what they normally do. There are 36 panels (Kyocera I believe) so it should be good for a watt or two.

CS: How does this align with your values?
D: I would like to leave a legacy of stewardship and responsibility to my children. I want to be an example to them. I felt it was the right thing to do. SolarCity allowed me to do this while still keeping the costs down. Why every house in LA or Arizona and why the whole Sunbelt isn’t covered in panels is a real failure of mankind. We have the technology, we know this stuff is helpful for a ton of reasons (emissions, reduced dependency on oil nations, better supply distribution) but we still don’t get it. It kills me.

CS: This is installed in Oregon, is there enough sunshine in Oregon to make it worthwhile? (see the clouds in the photos)
D: While it was overcast and raining, during the test phase of the install it still generated 400W. Even a tiny amount like that is still energy that is not from burning coal or gas. Every little bit helps. And Oregon doesn’t have THAT bad of weather. Look at my garden. When I bought the house that was a deck, and I took it out because there is no shade at my house and it would get killer hot out there during the summer. I’ll be making some juice even during the winter. With an array the size of mine it won’t take much sun to make a positive outcome.

"Doing what’s right shouldn’t come with a label"

CS: Do you consider yourself an environmentalist, an eco-geek, or other?
D: I consider myself a realist. Doing what’s right shouldn’t come with a label.

CS: How will this change your electricity use?
D: We are already responsible energy users. We have all CFC for lighting and when they die I’ll probably put in LED lighting. Best of all, now we'll be able to play solar powered Rock Band!

Power Line Park: South-facing view from the property

CS: What did you think of the install crew?
D: The team was great. They worked three days, rain or shine, and kept me in the loop at all times. They put up with my nosing around, and they left the work area in good shape. They always practiced safety protocols, and that made me feel better since I knew they were safe (unlike some roof repairer we had last year).

CS: What would you say to someone else that is considering SolarCity?
D: If you have any doubts about working with them, I can only tell you my experience has been great. Professional, patient (I asked lots of stupid questions) and even kept after it when the rules in Oregon changed. I’m very happy.

The output will continue to be meager throughout the winter. In the spring and summer, however, this system will be able to power his entire house and feed the grid during peak sun hours. You can see the energy produced by Doug's PV system here. Φ

Solar 101 Video

Here is a quick video that answers the following questions:

• How is sunlight turned into electricity?
• What are the basic components of a solar electric (photovoltaic)?
• What is the grid?
• What happens to surplus electricity?
• What does an "inverter" do?
• Can my meter run backwards?

Solar Powered Water in Portland

Portland Water Bureau Goes Solar

The Portland Water Bureau is putting in a 267kW solar installation near the Portland Airport (PDX). This is the second installation for the Water Bureau and comes with a $2.2M price tag.

The location is challenging because this  solar power plant is located in a field with high groundwater. “The water table is right at the surface,” said EC Company Renewable Solutions Manager, Robin Rabiroff, “We had to take into account the drainage and settling of the site.”

To enable the Water Bureau to track energy production of the site, the four commercial inverters, made by Bend Oregon company PV Powered, are outfitted with performance monitoring systems from DECK Monitoring of Eugene, Oregon. The monitoring website has been linked to the Bureau’s website for easy access by ratepayers.

“We’ve been using PV Powered commercial inverters for more than a year on various projects,” said EC’s Rabiroff “Their product quality is top notch, ... Plus, we like dealing with an Oregon-based company.”

“We also like teaming up with local companies to deliver leading-edge renewable energy solutions in Oregon,” said Erick Petersen, VP of Sales and Marketing at PV Powered. “For our part, PV Powered ensures that our customers get maximum energy harvest...”

Among the other commercial projects that EC Company has installed with PV Powered commercial inverters is the 107kW rooftop plant that was recently put in at the Portland Community College.

Related Link

Plug-and-play Solar at Lowe's

People in California can now walk into their local Lowe's and buy solar panels off the shelf. Twenty one California Lowe's stores now sell Andalay's Safe Household AC Power Systems.

The system is fully integrated with built-in racking, grounding, wiring and micro-inverters. With built-in inverters the system produces household AC power, so there is no high-voltage DC wiring.

The system uses Akeena's Suntech panels and Enphase micro-inverters and is featured in Lowe's Energy Center. The panels were honored with a 2009 Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Product award.

This system allows do-it-yourselfers to install solar photovoltaic systems. Barry Cinnamon, Akeena's CEO, compares this to the PC industry boom, "We transitioned away from big mainframe computers to PCs in every home. Likewise, with panels becoming plug-and-play appliances, the solar revolution has started."

Lowe's will stock the accessories required for installation, so you can get what you need when you need it. The Energy Center will be in additional U.S. and Canadian stores in 2010.

Solar Bill of Rights

If you own your home, and you have good sun exposure and you can afford it (or have a clever lease), you should be able to put solar panels on your home. Unfortunately, site assessment and affordability are not the only hurdles that many home owners need to overcome.

Across the country, local zoning laws and homeowners' associations (HOA) govern the approved uses of a property. While these rules are often created to uphold a community's property values, they can also prohibit the installation of solar panels, solar water heaters or solar heating and cooling technologies.

The tide is recently shifting and zoning laws are now being used to protect a homeowner's right to solar access from California to Maryland. Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) aims to eliminate zoning laws and HOA rules that prohibit the installation of solar nationwide.

Recently the House-passed energy and climate bill included a provision which would direct the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to prohibit private covenants or homeowners associations from preventing the installation of solar systems through rules or excessive fees.

Related Legislation

• H.R. 2848 Solar Opportunity and Local Access Rights (SOLAR) Act
• S. 1016 Solar Opportunity and Local Access Rights (SOLAR) Act

To secure policies of solar freedom and to empower consumers, Rhone Resch, President and CEO of the SEIA, declared, on October 27, 2009, in the City of Anaheim, California, a Solar Bill of Rights:

"We seek no more than the freedom to compete on equal terms and no more than the liberty for people to choose the energy source they think best."

Here is the 8 point proposed Solar Bill of Rights.

1. Americans have the right to put solar on their homes or businesses. Restrictive covenants, onerous connection rules, and excessive permitting and inspections fees prevent too many American homes and businesses from going solar.
   
   
2. Americans have the right to connect their solar energy system to the grid with uniform national standards. This should be as simple as connecting a telephone or appliance. No matter where they live, consumers should expect a single standard for connecting their system to the electric grid.
   
   
3. Americans have the right to Net Meter and be compensated at the very least with full retail electricity rates. When customers generate excess solar power utilities should pay them consumer at least the retail value of that power.
   
   
4. The solar industry has the right to a fair competitive environment. The highly profitable fossil fuel industries have received tens of billions of dollars for decades. The solar energy expects a fair playing field, especially since the American public overwhelmingly supports the development and use of solar.
   
   
5. The solar industry has the right to equal access to public lands. America has the best solar resources in the world, yet solar companies have zero access to public lands compared to the 45 million acres used by oil and natural gas companies.
   
   
6. The solar industry has the right to interconnect and build new transmission lines. When America updates its electric grid, it must connect the vast solar resources in the Southwest to population centers across the nation.
   
   
7. Americans have the right to buy solar electricity from their utility. Consumers have no choice to buy clean, reliable solar energy from their utilities instead of the dirty fossil fuels of the past.
   
   
8. Americans have the right, and should expect, the highest ethical treatment from the solar industry. Consumers should expect the solar energy industry to minimize its environmental impact, provide systems that work better than advertised, and communicate incentives clearly and accurately.

Solar Energy Industries Association: Solar Bill of Rights

Dell's Solar Grove

Parking lots are vast, often hot and ugly. Envision Solar has a new vision for the parking lot and the latest one they have transformed is at Dell's headquarters in Round Rock, Texas. Dell has installed an Envision "Solar Grove". The Solar Grove provides shade for 56 parking spaces while providing renewable energy.

The installation will generate 130,000 kWh annually.

The project includes more than just solar technology though. It also includes electric vehicle charging stations from Coulomb Technologies. When plug-in cars like the Nissan Leaf or the Chevy Volt park here, they'll be drivin' on sunshine.

Via EcoGeek

Gorgeous Solar PV System

We have posted stories about solar tiles here before.

Solar has two big obstacles to overcome: cost and aesthetics. Integrated solar shingles helps overcome both of these. Building the solar into the building in the first place, rather than retro-fitting it, saves money and it can be financed with the house. Solar shingles also use thin-film PV, this is cheaper than silicon wafer PV. Thin-film is less efficient so you'll need to cover more of your roof.

As for the aesthetics, that is a very subjective topic. I find everything from roof mounted systems to solar troughs to be an elegant and beautiful technology. But many home-owners associations do not agree with me; however, solar shingles are allowed in many areas where roof mounted systems are not.

SRS Energy has developed roofing tiles that mimic Tuscan terracotta roofing tiles but contain amorphous silicon solar cells produced by Uni-Solar.

Via CNet

Links:

SRS Energy

Solar Waffle Works

A new solar-powered food cart in northeast Portland serves up more than waffles.

Located at N.E. Alberta St. and 23rd Ave. and set to open later this month, the small blue trailer housing "Solar Waffle Works" is a nonprofit project that helps high school graduates gain independent living skills and vocational training.

The young adults involved are part of the PPS Community Transition Program, which helps recent graduates transition to life after high school.

Corinne Thomas-Kersting, CTP administrator, says Solar Waffle Works benefits students by making them active partners in the creation and management of a socially responsible start-up.

"This project gets them out of the classroom and into the real world," says Thomas-Kersting. "That hands-on experience is incredibly valuable."

Students designed the cart from start-to-finish: they helped create the business plan, the logo, the marketing concepts and the menu, assisted with preparing the cart for service and will work in Solar Waffle Works preparing and serving food as well assisting with accounting and advertising.

The cart is the result of a partnership between PPS and SolTrekker, a Northeast-based nonprofit dedicated to renewable energy education. A solar panel array on the cart's roof supplies much of its power.

"It's about a lot more than CTP students learning how to flip waffles," says Allison Hintzmann, a CTP transition specialist who envisioned and co-created Solar Waffle Works with students and SolTrekker. "This fosters entrepreneurship while also teaching skills that will make them more employable."

In addition to job training, Solar Waffle Works emphasizes the importance of conserving resources and reducing environmental impact.

SolTrekker provided the trailer and added plumbing and solar components. The nonprofit contributed labor, funds and materials and received partial funding from PPS and the Spirit Mountain Community Fund.

Ty Adams, founder and board chair at SolTrekker, says his organization didn't need any convincing to participate.

"This is a project that's not just unique to Portland, but one that is unique nationwide," says Adam. "It's definitely the tastiest project we've ever been a part of."

Visiting Solar Waffle Works

For its grand opening, Solar Waffle Works will feature live music and free samples on Saturday, Oct. 24, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at its location on N.E. Alberta St. and 23rd Ave. Hours of business will be 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Weekday revenue supports the Community Transition Program.

via Portland Public School News

Solar Oregon Photo Contest

Each year Solar Oregon holds a photo contest. Below are the three runners up and the winning photo.

Christopher Morgan

Sam Doak

Gregory Flick

photo by Michele Renee, Contest Winner

Link: Solar Oregon

Solar Decathlon Photos

If you weren't able to attend the Solar Decathlon in DC, check out the slideshow and video. Treehugger

Solar Power At Night!

One of the, often sited, drawbacks of solar energy is that it does not produce power at night. A new solar plant in the Arizona desert is about to change that.

It is named "Starwood Solar One" and it will be located 75 miles west of Phoenix in the Harquahala Valley.

When complete in 2013, the 290 MW solar thermal power plant will cover 1900 acres of desert and be the largest dispatchable solar power plant in the world. A "dispatchable" plant is one that can be tapped for electricity whenever needed, such as peak demand periods day or night.

'How is that possible?', you might ask.

Mirrored troughs concentrate the sun to heat liquids, that are piped into giant insulated tanks of molten salt. The tanks are heated to over 700 degrees Fahrenheit. With an insulated thermal mass this large, the tanks can maintain their temperature for weeks with very little degradation. This means that they can be used to generate steam and drive turbines whenever needed, day or night and even during cloudy weather.

Simple temperature monitors can be used to estimate production capacity currently stored in the tanks. This makes the plant output highly predictable and dependable; something photovoltaic and wind cannot do currently. It would take weeks of "solar drought" in Arizona before the plant would not be able to produce at full capacity.

It will produce enough power for ~73,000 customers. The construction will also create 7700 jobs and have a price tag of $2.7B. With no ongoing fuel costs, it will pay for itself and then some; all while not polluting and no miners need to die and no mountain tops need to be removed to feed it.

This type of solar thermal energy as well as geothermal energy are demand-response sources that can be used to supply the base load. This also allows them to adjust to the fluctuations that wind and photovoltaic can produce. Together these can make a complementary portfolio of renewable energy production.

UPDATE: Despite all the contracts signed in May, on October 1st, this project was, sadly, canceled. I hope Starwood can find someplace more dedicated to renewable energy to build.

Links:
Huffington Post
Green Energy News
EcoGeek

Solar Decathlon

The Solar Decathlon joins 20 college and university teams in a competition on the National Mall in Washington D.C. to design, build, and operate an attractive and energy-efficient solar-powered house.

This year the "solar village" will be on the Mall from October 9 - 18, 2009.

The Solar Decathlon looks at 10 areas for each house:

* Architecture
* Market Viability
* Engineering
* Lighting Design
* Communications
* Comfort Zone
* Hot Water
* Appliances
* Home Entertainment
* Net Metering

Links:

http://www.solardecathlon.org

Solar Power International

Solar Power International is the biggest solar conference in North America. This year, 2009, it is October 27 - 29, in Anaheim, California.

If you cannot attend the event in person, you can watch the videos that they post on their website. Last year they posted keynote speeches and many other highlights. Here is a 2008 video overview.

http://www.solarpowerinternational.com

DSIRE Launches Solar Site

DSIRE is the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency. It is a large database with incentives for each US state and territory for everything from Appliances to Wind. It is a comprehensive list, but if you are looking for solar information only, it can be overwhelming to comb through heat pumps and front loading washing machines.

Since there is so much solar related information the DSIRE team has now launched the DSIRE Solar site. It includes an interactive US map. You can select PV or solar thermal incentives when using the state-by-state map.

Link: DSIRE Solar

Online Solar Class

I recently published a story about Green Energy Education in Oregon and another about a class in San Francisco. If you are not in one of these areas, below is an Online class that might be of interest to you. This is not an endorsement and I have no affiliation.

---

Accredited Online Training for Jobs in Renewable Energy - Allied Schools, Growing Green Careers!

Course offerings put you on the path to an eco-career:
› The Business of Solar
› Introduction to Photovoltaic Systems
› Fundamentals of Green Building

The training will prepare you to enter a variety of industries at the forefront of the green movement - or allow you to branch out on your own as a savvy green business owner.

Focus areas include:

Weatherization & Energy Efficient :: Planning & Land Use
Approximately $4 billion of the Stimulus Package (Recovery Act) was budgeted to renovate public housing nationwide and make the dwellings more energy efficient. Recruitment for individuals with green training is underway.

Travel & Hospitality
Eco-tourism is growing at three times the rate of the tourism sector itself. Hotels, theme parks and a variety of tourist destinations worldwide are seeking experts to help decrease their carbon footprint, save money and promote a greener public persona.

Real Estate
According to a National Association of Home Builder's survey, 74% of home buyers and renters are willing to pay more for green amenities. Real estate salespeople, home inspectors, contractors and property managers have a valuable career opportunity to carve a niche serving green-conscious clients.

Undecided whether a career in the growing green economy is right for you? Global support for a greener world is evident in these eye-opening facts:

• The renewable energy industry grew more than three times as fast as the U.S. economy in 2007.
• Largest growing sectors include: solar thermal, solar photovoltaics, and biofuels.
• President Obama said the US will double its supply of renewable energy by 2012.
• The DoE says Weatherization Assistance provides upgrades to more than 60,000 families every year.

Feel confident about a new career in a flourishing industry and be proud that your efforts will touch generations to come. You can do something uncommon with your future. Allied can help you meet your goals with:

• Emerging Technologies Focus
• 100% Online Course
• Live Student Support
• Nationally Accreditation

Link:
Online PV Course

Photovoltaic System Design and Engineering Classes

A 3-day course on PV system design.

Learn site assessment,& technology selection factors. Get the skills to deliver professional feasibility reports and design drawings.

Held at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco, CA
Sep 14-16, 2009
Dec 7-9, 2009

For more info:
http://sunengineer.com/workshops.htm

World's Largest Solar Highway in Oregon

Oregon was the first state in the US to install solar panels along the highway. It started early in 2008 when Allison Hamilton, an Oregon Department of Transportation project director, watched an episode of the PBS show NOVA that showed solar panels next to the German autobahn.

"Why not do that here?" she thought and in December of 2008, the I-5/205 interchange photovoltaic system powered on.

With business and utility partners, the project has been a big success. ODOT is getting renewable energy at no additional cost, Portland General Electric has added solar to their wind dominated renewable portfolio and in return for paying for most of the upfront costs, U.S. Bank gets the tax credits for 5 years.

With a successful project in the bag, ODOT is looking to "replicate this in spades, and we'll get lower cost per kilowatt," Hamilton said. Oregon now looks to build a 3 megawatt array, the largest solar highway project in the world, bigger than the 2.8 megawatt project recently announced in Germany. Ken Worcester, the city’s parks director, said the solar highway offers an opportunity to tap into the state’s economic stimulus funding. The business and utility partnerships are still being formed for this new project.

The array will be installed near I-205 in West Linn at the site of an old rest-stop area that was closed in 1995. Rows of 17,000 solar panels would stretch 2,000 feet across a terraced hillside of state-owned land. This area is currently being used for heavy-duty equipment storage, gravel piles, wood debris and work sheds. The area is visible from across the Willamette River from the town of Oregon City. I would prefer to look at a solar array than a gravel pile.

Many citizens of West Linn were concerned about a path that was planned to accompany the solar array. “I’m not in opposition to solar at all,” said Bill Weber, who lives on Riverknoll Way. “I am totally in opposition to the trail.” Other residents expressed concern that a path would invite crime into their backyard. The proposed trail would connect to a network of trails. By crossing Salamo Road, walkers could reach another trail through a savanna of rare white oak trees and then connect to another trail in North Willamette Park, completing a giant loop.

Michelle Wittenbrink, a member of the city’s Sustainability Advisory Board, said she hopes the prospective trail won’t become a roadblock to the solar highway. The city has until December to apply for funding for the path.

“This is really a unique opportunity, and it’s the right thing to do,” said Jeff Treece, Marylhurst president. “It improves livability for all of us.”

While this project planning is underway, Oregon is not sitting still. They have begun site evaluations at the Baldock rest area off southbound I-5 in Wilsonville for a 3rd ODOT solar array.


Links:
West Linn City Council supports ODOT solar highway

West Linn Solar Highway FAQ

Solar Highway Benefits West Linn

Oregon Solar Highway

Oregon City Solar

The Oregon Way Solar Highway support slides

Cheaper Summer Electricity

July 2009 had record setting high temperatures in the Northwest US. Sunny skies and the absence of onshore breezes set the stage for the most severe heat wave in the region since 1981. Record highs were set in Portland and Seattle and many places in-between.

July 27: Portland International Airport (PDX) hit 103f, breaking the old record set in 1958. Vancouver WA also hit 103f to beat the 100f record set in 1998 by three degrees.

July 28th was 106f, breaking the 1998 record and setting a new all-time high temperature for any day of the year in Portland.

With all the heat, our air conditioner has been running more than ever and we just got our July electricity bill and it is lower than December. All the heat means that the solar panels have been pumping out the kilowatts. Which is more than enough to offset the seasonal use of the AC.

Before getting the solar panels, our summer electricity bills were 2-3X of our winter bills. Our electricity bill was still not zero. Remember the solar panels are sized to fuel my electric truck driving, not to take us off-grid. But it is nice that we no longer have spikes in the summer electric bills.

June 2009 EV & PV Report

On June 21st, here in the NW corner of Oregon, the Sunrise was at 5:21AM and Sunset was at 21:03. That is 15 hours 42 minutes of sunlight. Our west-facing PV solar system started generating power at 7:45AM and did so until 20:45. That is 13 hours of powering our home and feeding the grid.

For the month of June, we generated 509kWh, despite the first 3 weeks of the month being consistently cloudy.

Our best performing day this month was the 28th with 25.5kWh.

For EV driving, I logged 371 Miles using an estimated 260kWh.

Our PV system generated nearly twice as much energy as I used for driving.

Driving on Sunshine, Good Times!