Solar Oregon
PO Box 83806 , Portland, Oregon, United States

MISSION:

Leading the way to a clean energy future where human prosperity is achieved through efficient technology and renewable energy.

VISION

 Incorporate solar design as a standard in the built environment to lead the nation with a clean energy economy.  We lead tours, deliver workshops, advocate for pro-solar policies to help homeowners and communities navigate and accelerate the development of solar energy in Oregon and southwest Washington over the last 36 years. Recognizing that business, local governments and non-profit organizations all play a major role in reducing our energy footprint, Solar Oregon reaches out to the professional and corporate community. Together, we are building a body of people, knowledge and success that benefits all Oregonians.

Why Go Solar

Solar energy offers many benefits to homeowners. By moving to solar from fossil fuels to solar, you are able to help reduce carbon emissions, promote local control of our energy consumption, and reduce the need for electric power distribution. Based on your unique power requirements, you and other homeowners can decide how big of a system to install and generate electricity right where you use it.

Beyond the economics, there are many reasons to install solar energy.

• Solar homes sell twice as fast as their conventional counterparts, which provides a hedge in depressed housing markets.
• Solar homeowners are more satisfied and recommend their builder to others twice as often.
• Homeowners in communities that include solar are more satisfied with their home purchases.
• Installing solar as a standard feature simplifies the buyer’s decision making process because it takes the guesswork out of their purchase.
• Builders indicate that make solar as standard equipment is more profitable than offering it as an option. Builders find that it is more profitable to offer solar as a standard features rather than other options.
• Homes with solar energy reduce their energy bills between 14-54%.
• Solar systems retain their value on average 97% and adds approximately $12,000 to a home’s value.

Environmental Benefits and Considerations

There are a number of ways to consider energy and the environment.  These include all of the effects of resource development on society from the production, distribution, consumption and disposal of energy.  One large global consideration is the effect on climate change, which is whether the resource is carbon emitting, such as coal or oil.  “Carbon-free” resources include solar, wind, hydro and nuclear. Another consideration is whether the resource is a renewable or non-renewable resource (such as coal and gas). Another element is the magnitude of the resource and the potential for harm to the environment and human health.  Because solar energy is carbon-free and renewable, it has more positive environmental benefits overall when compared with carbon producing fossil fuels.  More often decisions made by businesses are considered within the context of climate change.  All energy sources have some effect on the environment. Fossil fuels are more harmful than renewable energy including air/water pollution, damage to public health, wildlife and fish habitat, land and water use and global warming emissions.  For decades now, the industry (utilities, regulatory commission, environmental groups) have tried to calculate the cost of the effect of resource development on the environment.  Quantifying this amount is known as environment adders.  By including these costs, it more accurately captures the true cost and addresses accountability i.e. not pushing these costs off to others downstream (taxpayers, government, other businesses).  The sun provides a tremendous resource for generating clean and sustainable electricity.  The environmental impacts associated with solar power does the use of hazardous materials in manufacturing, and  vary greatly depending on the scale of the system and the technology used — photovoltaic (PV) solar cells or concentrating solar thermal plants (CSP).  If not handled and disposed of properly, these materials could pose serious environmental or public health threats.  While there are no global warming emissions associated with generating electricity from solar energy, there are emissions associated with other stages of the solar life-cycle, including manufacturing, materials transportation, installation, maintenance, and decommissioning and dismantlement.

Solar in Action

Solar Ambassadors are people who have gone before you and are willing to share their story. They will share with you their own experience installing solar, and share the good with the bad to give you a honest look at what to expect.  Solar Ambassadors not only share their stories on our website, but they are also willing to talk to you about their experience.

As the first solar system installed using micro-inverters in Jackson and Josephine Counties, the Brender-Rizvi family installed their 1.47 kW system in 2010. Each of the seven panels uses a micro-inverter instead of one large, centralized inverter. They believe that this helps make their system more productive, reliable and safer than traditional inverter systems.  Their 1938 home is located on a tree-lined old east Medford street, so putting up solar panels was not easy. In addition to installing a PV soar system, they own a hybrid car, dual flush high-efficiency toilets and a hybrid heat pump.