PenLight partnered with the Harbor History Museum and the Bonneville Environmental Foundation to construct a 60-kilowatt array called the Harbor Community Solar project.Visit the Harbor History Museum website to track the Electric Generation.
The Harbor Community Solar project is now generating electricity , thanks to 105 of our members that are participating in funding the system. The 60-kilowatt photovoltaic system was built on the roof of the Harbor History Museum and energized on November 6, 2015. As the solar panels convert the sun’s rays into electricity, the museum will use the power for the life of the system, and our participating members will be eligible for annual state incentives for the next four years.
A Lottery Was Held To Determine Participants
The Harbor Community Solar project was divided into 1,850 equal units and made available to our members for purchase at $100 per unit. At the end of our month-long enrollment process, our members requested more than 2,100 units. As a matter of fairness, we held a random lottery on November 13 among committed participants and notified the winners of their selection.
Harbor Community Solar (video)
State Incentives
Participants will receive an annual incentive check from the state based on the total energy production of the Harbor Community Solar project. At $1.08 per kilowatt-hour, it is double the rate of the state’s residential solar incentive. However, it only lasts through July 2020 because that’s when the current law is set to expire. We estimate an incentive payment of about $33 per unit, per year.
Educational Programming
We would like to thank the Harbor History Museum and the Bonneville Environmental Foundation for their partnership on the community solar project. As part of an ongoing effort, an educational display will be installed inside the museum that will help track the electric generation of the project. Later on, academic modules will be available for teachers in the Peninsula School District so they can learn about the power of renewable energy and incorporate the material in their classrooms.
By the Numbers
- System size: 60 kilowatts
- Number of panels: 214
- Size of 1 panel: 15 square feet
- Watts per panel: 280
- Total participants: 105
- Date energized: Friday, November 6, 2015
- Installer: A & R Solar