Solar Panels on East Portland Community Center

Solar panel system for swimming

I sure wish we lived closer to Portland, Oregon!  Solar panels on the East Portland Community Center help power and heat the water at the first LEED platinum natatorium (that’s a swimming facility, in case you need a vocabulary lesson).  This week, the community center celebrated the completion of the new solar panel system.

By adding solar electricity and a solar water heating system, the East Portland Community Center was able to achieve the highly-sought after U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED platinum rating, the highest “green construction” recognition available in the United States.  LEED is an acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

The natatorium opened earlier this year and immediately set a new standard for energy efficiency in Oregon.  Before the solar panels went up on the roof, the project was already 60% more efficient than required under current building code standards.  Now, the East Portland Community Center includes an 86-kilowatt (kW) solar panel system that will generate approximately 90,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) each year, off-setting 15% of the center’s energy requirements.

Portland Oregon

Kudos go out to the Energy Trust of Oregon and Portland General Electric, which worked with the City to install the solar panel system on the natotorium.  The cost for the panels and installation will be covered through a public/private partnership between Portland and Commercial Solar Ventures, Sentry Financial Corporation and BEF Renewable.  Portland is leading the roof space on the community center and will purchase electricity generated by the solar panel system at market rates.

Children that go to the East Portland Community Center can even get a quick renewable energy lesson in the lobby!  The Bonneville Environmental Foundation’s Solar 4R Schools program is setting up a kiosk to show how much power is generated by the solar panel system on the roof.

Talk about a win-win situation!  Reduced energy needs, a solar power lesson, plus national attention as the first LEED-platinum natotorium.  Way to go East Portland Community Center!

Tags: east portland community center, leadership in energy and environmental design, LEED platinum, natatorium, solar 4R schools, solar panel system, U.S. green building council