[The Vector] Largest Rooftop Solar Project in the Northwest

The largest rooftop solar installation in the American Northwest is now online.  Portland General Electric (PGE) has a 673,000 square foot installation of 2.4 MW on seven ProLogis warehouses. PGE ranked among the top 10 utilities in the west for solar installation in 2009, says Solar Energy Power Association.

Northwest Solar Solutions (a division of Snyder Roofing) was installer for the project and estimated that about 60,000 hours of work (electrical and roofing) was created by this project.Energy Trust of Oregon provided $2.3 million in incentives, according to Business Wire (July 26, 2010), while PGE worked with U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corporation, ProLogis and some Oregon companies.

“Solar is clearly growing in Oregon and our customers are helping drive that,” the PGE vice president Carol Dillin said. “We have seen unprecedent growth of residential and business solar projects in our area over the past two years, which coupled with growth in solar manufacturing, helps develop more clean renewable resources. . .to stimulate Oregon’s green economy.” (Business Wire, July 26^, 2010.)

Google’s headquarters in California (Googleplex) was the largest corporate installation with more than 9,200 solar panels generating 1.6 MW of power. It was installed in 2007, and Google has led the way. Others, like ProLogis, are now following.

Solar is growing now only in the U.S. but worldwide.  The chart below courtesy REN21, shows the growth of solar worldwide from 1995 to 2009.  While Germany is number one worldwide, and other European countries are ahead of the U.S. in solar, it is nevertheless growing here too. Much in the years to come will depend on government and federal buy-in on policies, what occurs with fossil fuels and its pricing, and consumer education on energy issues.