Commissioner Jeff Cogen Partnering with Energy Trust of Oregon to Generate Solar Power for Multnomah County
Commissioner Jeff Cogen has negotiated a deal to partner with Energy Trust of Oregon to develop solar power generation resources on County owned facilities with virtually no cost. This project would be the largest solar energy generation project in Oregon and would more than double the current installed capacity of photo-voltaic solar panels in our state. The resolution to approve this project goes before the Board of Commissioners on June 28, 2007.
“Multnomah County can help to build the market for green energy by demonstrating the viability of this solar energy generation project located on County property,” said Cogen. “The solar energy industry is an important source of future economic development in our community and our region is already attracting major energy technology companies.” SolarWorld of Germany recently decided to open a factory in Hillsboro that will hire up to 1,000 employees.
Energy Trust of Oregon will create virtual power plants mounted on the roofs of select buildings – including the Multnomah Building on at 501 SE Hawthorne Boulevard where commissioners’ offices are located – from which the County will receive at least 20 years of worry-free energy production from a free, renewable energy source. The County will purchase the energy generated on our rooftops at the same rates we are paying our electric utilities. Producing this electricity will not change the County’s status as customers of Portland General Electric and Pacific Power or impact their ability to buy the electricity, if needed, from those providers.
The various sites where the solar projects will be located will generate at least 1,000,000 kWh of renewable electricity from County owned property by 2010.
Energy Trust of Oregon is an independent non-profit organization funded entirely by utility customers through a public purpose charge paid by the ratepayers of Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, NW Natural, Cascade Natural Gas, and Avista. A central part of its mission is to encourage renewable energy production in Oregon. They achieve this by providing cash incentives that reduce up-front and on-going costs, and by facilitating partnerships. Energy Trust has been a partner on 452 solar energy projects in Oregon to date.
Posted on June 27, 2007
Comments
(Note: Comments are the views of their authors, and no one else.)
Posted by: Graig Spolek - June 29, 2007 08:42 AM
Jeff,
Good work! As you may recall from our discussions with you when you were in Dan's office, I am still very interested in solar energy and solar engineering. In fact, I teach a PSU class every year called "Solar Engineering" on basic principles and applications of solar energy, with an emphasis on Oregon. I hope that my students and I can tour the planned facilities and perhaps may become involved in their design and assessment. The ecoroof of the Multnomah County Building, your home, is another of our PSU student projects as we have monitored its performance for more than three years.
Good job in promoting solar energy in Multnomah County!
Graig
Posted by: jeff cogen - July 3, 2007 09:56 PM
Great to here that you are still teaching about/supporting solar at Portland State. I'd love to hear your ideas about how you and your students might plug in.
Thanks for your interest.
Jeff
Posted by: Ron Davison - April 25, 2008 06:12 PM
I have developed a non-intrusive process that enhances the wattage output of amorphous solar panels. Preliminary tests are showing wattage increase of over 10%. I would like to offer this technology to an USA manufacturer first. If you want to include it in your Hillsboro project or want me to process one of your panels please let me know soon. 801-491-0399 or 801-400-4529 cell.