• Home
  • How We Work
  • Where We Work
  • News Room
  • About Us
  • My Nature Page

The Nature Conservancy in Africa - Conservation in Africa

The Nature Conservancy in Asia Pacific - Conservation in Asia-Pacific

The Nature Conservancy in the Caribbean - Conservation in the Caribbean

The Nature Conservancy in Central America - Conservation in Central America

The Nature Conservancy in North America - Conservation in North America

The Nature Conservancy in the United States - Conservation in the United States

The Nature Conservancy in South America - Conservation in South America

Solar system helps power Portland office

Volunteer Walt Mintkeski with Portland office solar panels © Nick Hardigg/TNC
Nature Conservancy volunteer Walt Mintkeski maintains
the solar panels atop our Portland, Oregon office.
© Nick Hardigg/TNC

The Nature Conservancy has helped protect over 492,000 acres of important habitats in Oregon, and we are committed to incorporating sustainability into our statewide operations. We don't just talk the talk; we walk it, too.

As part of our commitment to nature, in October 1998, a solar power system was installed on the roof of our three-story Portland office building. Located at 821 SE 14th Avenue, this photovoltaic installation was, at the time, western Oregon's largest of its kind. 

Designed by Cascade Solar Consulting, LLC, this eco-friendly energy system was funded by a $20,000 grant from the PGE Enron Foundation to help test the feasibility of a small-scale solar system in a commercial building.

The system has 120 Solarex Millenia amorphous solar modules -- silicon film sprayed on glass. Installed horizontally on wooden beams, 30 panels of four modules each are attached to building's flat roof. Analysis prior to construction suggested that the reduction in solar efficiency caused by the horizontal placement would be more than offset by savings in installation costs. The flat installation, however, does make keeping the panels clean of airborne dirt difficult.

The 30 panels are divided into two 15-panel arrays. Each array has its own 2.2 kilowatt (KW) Omnion Inverter located on the building's third floor. The two inverters convert the solar panels' direct current into 120 volt alternating current (AC), which is then fed directly into the office's electrical system.

In December 2005, a Web-based monitoring system was installed, allowing anyone with Web access to see the voltage, current and power output of the system for the day, past week or past month. The monitoring system was manufactured by Fat Spaniel Inc., and its purchase and installation were also funded by Portland General Electric.

The solar system will produce 4 KW of electricity in full sunlight. During June 2006, for example, it produced 31 kilowatt hours (KWH) on the peak day and 624 KWH for the month. Annual estimates produce about 4,600 KWH, enough electricity for an average home, exclusive of heat and hot water. This represents about 4% of the office's estimated 118,000 KWH annual usage.

Maintenance and information about this installation is made possible through the dedication of our volunteer program, with special thanks to volunteer Walt Mintkeski. Installation site visits are available by appointment for groups of up to 20 people. For more information, please call us at 503 802-8100.