Solar

Solar pool heating promotion coming in Spring 2010

Energy Trust is planning a Willamette Valley-area solar pool heating push in March and April of 2010. We'll be contacting residential and multifamily pool owners to inform them about the benefits of heating their pool with solar, the availability of cash incentives and state tax credits, and a list of local, qualified trade ally contractors that can make it happen.

To support the anticipated growth in the solar pool heating market, Energy Trust will be streamlining its incentive process for pools. If you have not been actively installing solar pool heating system, now is the time. We expect this promotion to triple the demand for solar pool heating systems in the area.

To learn more, there will be an informational conference call for trade allies who wish to participate in this promotion on Wednesday, January 27 at 8:30 a.m. Email if you would like to participate. Conference call-in information will be sent out the week prior to trade allies that have expressed interest.

Your input needed by Friday, February 12: 2010 Installation Requirements review process

Starting next month, we will be reviewing our Solar Electric and Solar Water Heating installation requirements documents and making any necessary changes for 2010—and we'd like your input. If you have requirements that you'd like to see revised, added or removed, please complete an Installation Requirements Revision Proposal form and return it to on or before Friday, February 12.

Your proposals will be considered by a committee including solar contractors, industry representatives and our solar inspectors. Updated requirement documents will be published in April in time for the NW Solar Expo Professional Training Conference. Please contact with any questions on this process.

Generating sun charts using software

If you are using software to generate your sun charts from a Solar Pathfinder, Solmetric SunEye or Wiley ASSET, please include the correct information in the solar resource report that you submit to Energy Trust with your incentive application. We have provided instructions for generating the correct reports when using each of the tools, available on our website. Follow the links below.

Solar Pathfinder Assistant—Include only "Actual Unshaded Solar Radiation" and "Actual Shaded Solar Radiation" columns.

Solmetric SunEye—Include both the "Obstruction Elevation Report" and "Windowed Obstruction Elevations" Excel files.

Wiley ASSET—Include the "Calculations" worksheet, the "Sun Path" image and the "Grid" image.

Solarize Northeast proposals due January 11

The Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods (NECN) is seeking qualified firms to submit for the design, procurement and installations of new, residential, direct-owned photovoltaic systems for a cohort of Portland homeowners. Proposals for Solarize Northeast are due to NECN by January 11. For more information, read the Request for Proposal.

For more information, visit Energy Trust's Renewable Energy—Solar program pages, or call 1.866.368.7878.