Commercial Solar on the Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas
Power Trip Energy designs and installs solar for businesses, farms, schools, churches and public agencies across the Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas, from our shop in Port Townsend. Our commercial work includes the 100 kW array on Blue Heron Middle School in Port Townsend (2023), the 65 kW array at Finnriver Cidery and Orchard in Chimacum, the largest in Jefferson County when it was built in 2018, and the 53 kW array on St Barnabas Episcopal Church on Bainbridge Island (2026). The 30% federal investment tax credit still applies to commercial solar installations, Washington’s net metering law covers systems up to 100 kW for every customer class, and grid-tied arrays are exempt from state sales tax. We handle the design, the permit, the utility interconnection and the paperwork.
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Commercial and institutional solar we have built
- St Barnabas Episcopal Church, 53.34 kW, Bainbridge Island, 2026
- Blue Heron Middle School, 100 kW, Port Townsend, 2023
- Finnriver Cidery and Orchard, 65 kW, Chimacum, 2018
- Raincoast Farms, 11.73 kW, Port Townsend, 2018
- State Farm office, 9.72 kW, Port Angeles, 2017
- Wild Birds Unlimited, 9.62 kW, Gardiner, 2013
- Winslow Law Group, 4.4 kW, Bainbridge Island, 2013
- Holiday Inn Express conference center, 10.34 kW, Sequim, 2010
What our customers say
“We loved our decision to purchase a solar power system from Power Trip Energy. We are supporting the world’s climate health and the local business community, both important to us. Also it was a sound financial move with immediate and long term returns. The staff at Power Trip made the experience fun, easy and rewarding.”
“All of the people we had contact with at Power Trip Energy were excellent, from the initial solar feasibility analysis, to the installation and hook-up, to the back office paperwork and liaison with our local utility, they were all friendly, very capable and efficient and easy to work. They are a great company, and best of all they really believe in what they do. I would highly recommend them to anyone.”
How a commercial solar project works with us
Site evaluation and proposal
We look at your roof or ground area, your electrical service and your utility bills, then propose a system size, a production estimate and the financial picture: the 30% investment tax credit, net metering credits and any grant your business may qualify for.
Permits, grants and interconnection
We handle the permit and the net metering interconnection with PSE, Jefferson County PUD, Clallam County PUD or the City of Port Angeles. In 2015 we helped three local businesses secure USDA REAP grants that covered 25% of their projects; ask whether a grant applies to yours.
Installation and monitoring
Our own crews install the array under our Washington general contractor (POWERTE934QE) and electrical contractor (POWERTE964JN) licences, on flat membrane roofs, standing seam metal, composition shingle or a ground mount, and set up production monitoring so you can see what the array makes.
Commercial solar incentives in Washington
Commercial customers who install solar electric systems qualify for a federal income tax credit equal to 30% of the cost of the system under the Investment Tax Credit (ITC). A tax credit is a dollar-for-dollar reduction in the income taxes a company would otherwise pay, and businesses claim it on IRS Form 3468. The 30% residential credit (Form 5695) ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025; the commercial credit continues. Ask your tax professional how it applies to your business and whether depreciation rules help as well. Incentives and financing
Washington’s net metering law applies to systems up to 100 kilowatts for every customer class, and every utility, including municipal utilities and electric cooperatives, must offer it: the surplus your array exports in summer earns bill credits you use in winter. Washington also exempts grid-tied solar arrays from sales tax, a saving of roughly 9% depending on your locality.
Grants for farms and rural businesses
The USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) has provided grants covering 25% of the cost of a renewable energy system for for-profit small businesses, farms and ranches. Finnriver Cidery and Orchard and Raincoast Farms both used a 25% USDA grant for their arrays, and in 2015 we helped three local businesses through the application. Grant rounds and terms change, so ask us what is currently open.
Why businesses and institutions choose Power Trip Energy
- Commercial experience at every scale: 100 kW at Blue Heron Middle School, 65 kW at Finnriver, 53 kW at St Barnabas, and smaller arrays on a law office, a hotel conference center, a Gardiner retail business and a Port Angeles insurance office.
- Public and institutional work: we installed Blue Heron with UMC, the energy services company for Port Townsend School District, and built the community solar arrays for Clallam PUD (30 kW, Washington Street, Sequim, 2019) and the Jefferson Solar Group (17 kW, Jefferson International Airport, Port Townsend). About our community solar work
- Long-life equipment: the Maxeon modules on Blue Heron Middle School carry a 40-year warranty.
- Headquartered in Port Townsend since 2003, with commercial installs since 2005, NABCEP-certified staff, licensed Washington general contractor (POWERTE934QE) and electrical contractor (POWERTE964JN), and members of PSE’s Contractor Alliance Network.
Commercial solar questions
Does the 30% federal tax credit still apply to commercial solar?
Yes. Commercial customers who install solar electric systems qualify for a federal income tax credit equal to 30% of the cost under the Investment Tax Credit, claimed on IRS Form 3468. The residential credit ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025. Depreciation rules for businesses change often, so confirm both with your tax professional. Incentives and financing.
How large a system can be net metered in Washington?
Washington’s net metering law covers systems up to 100 kilowatts, for every customer class and every utility. Blue Heron Middle School’s 100 kW array is at that limit. If your load calls for more, tell us and we will talk through how your utility handles it.
Can you install solar on a flat commercial roof?
Yes. We have installed on commercial-grade white membrane and rolled asphalt flat roofs, standing seam and corrugated metal, composition shingle and concrete tile. On a flat roof the panels are tilted south on fixed racking, with the standoffs attached to the structure and sealed before the rails go on; Blue Heron Middle School’s 100 kW array is a flat-roof install. A ground mount is the alternative where the roof is shaded. More on roofs in our FAQ.
Do you work with schools, churches, nonprofits and public agencies?
Yes. Blue Heron Middle School (100 kW, 2023) was built with UMC, the energy services company for Port Townsend School District, and we installed Sequim High School’s three-phase array in 2010 and Port Townsend High School’s in 2008, both grant funded. St Barnabas Episcopal Church on Bainbridge Island went solar with us in 2026, Maloney Heights housing in Port Angeles in 2011, and we built Clallam PUD’s community solar array in Sequim in 2019.
Are there grants for farms and rural businesses?
The USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) has covered 25% of the cost of solar for for-profit small businesses, farms and ranches in rural counties. Finnriver Cidery and Orchard and Raincoast Farms both used it, and in 2015 we helped three local businesses through the application. Ask us what is currently open before you plan a budget.
How much roof area does a commercial array need?
As a rule of thumb, 50 to 65 square feet of roof per kilowatt of array, so a 50 kW system needs roughly 2,500 to 3,250 square feet of unshaded roof. Each module is about 40 by 73 inches. Our site evaluation measures your roof, its shading and your electrical service before we propose a size. Sizing details in our FAQ.
Where we install commercial solar
From our Port Townsend shop we serve businesses across the Kitsap Peninsula (PSE territory): Bainbridge Island, Poulsbo, Kingston, Silverdale, Bremerton and Port Orchard; Jefferson County (Jefferson County PUD): Port Townsend, Port Hadlock, Chimacum, Port Ludlow and Quilcene; and the North Olympic Peninsula (Clallam County PUD or the City of Port Angeles): Sequim, Gardiner and Port Angeles. Past commercial work has also taken us further afield, to a 34 kW community land trust project on Lopez Island and Ellensburg’s community solar array. See the whole Olympic Peninsula service area.
Ready to look at solar for your business?
Tell us about your building, your electrical service and a recent utility bill, and we will propose a system, a production estimate and what the 30% investment tax credit and net metering mean for it. Or call the shop, Mon-Fri 8am to 5pm.