Solar Power in Vancouver Washington - A Viable Power Option

Cloudy Weather does not stop solar power generation at Vancouver's Columbia River High School.

Having grown up in the Felida area of Vancouver, I know this part of Washington State can be quite cloudy in the winter season.  Just how cloudy does it get here you say?  According to City Data's top 101 cities with the least amount of sunshine, the Vancouver - Portland area did not make that list (Whew!).  On the other hand, the Seattle and other Puget Sound cities topped the list, followed mostly by the cities in the US Northeast!  From my college days at Western Washington University I observed that Spring seemed to arrive about a week earlier and Fall came a week later when compared to Bellingham (northern Puget Sound).

Never the less, the local weather folks on TV are major celebrities and can describe the moisture falling from the skies from: light mist; intermittent showers to downpours.

So, with such a reputation for cloudy skies do solar installations in Vancouver and Clark County make sense?  When researching this topic I came across Fat Spaniel Technologies (assets now owned by Power-One),  a company that provides real-time monitoring and web-displays of solar and alternative energy installations.  Turns out there is a long and growing list of installations in Western Washington and the Vancouver - Portland area.  One of them was installed in the summer of 2010 at my old alma mater of Columbia River High School (45.694, -122.679).  The report inset below is a real-time app that will let you see the current system status, weather conditions and amount of power being generated.   

You may also adjust the display to see Weekly, Monthly or Yearly production.  When you check those different views it is clearly evident that even on the cloudiest of days some power can be generated.  As of 10 am this morning while writing this, the site has generated 45 watt hours on a totally cloudy morning!

Although this particular installation does not supply a huge amount of the school's daily power requirement, it still proves that a large roof-top in Vancouver Washington may be a reasonable place to generate clean power.  Other local sites I've reviewed show a typical "roller-coaster" pattern with the largest amounts of power generated during the sunnier and longer days of summer, then dropping off for the winter season.

At least part of the funding for the Columbia River High School's solar installation came from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (www.b-e-f.org), who's website in itself may help better explain the extent of solar power installations at schools in Washington and Oregon.

In future installments I hope to show how power at residential installations is being used, and also cover some of the economic incentives available for Washington State residents and applications for their homes.

PS -  Look to the Alexander ~ Slocum Team
when you start searching for Homes For Sale in Vancouver Washington!

If you are in the market to buy a house in Vancouver or another nearby city in Clark County, we'd also suggest you visit our pages for Vancouver WA Real Estate. Houses for sale in Vancouver are often much less than comparable homes in Portland, with the additional benefits of living in one of the best Tax Havens in the USA!

For Home Sellers you'll want to know What is my Vancouver WA Home Worth? and how to List My Vancouver WA Home.