JCHBA’s Home Show in Port Townsend 2025
The Port Townsend Home Show will be at the Blue Heron School on March 1, 2025. Come and enjoy the solar power produced from the 99kW array installed by our team in 2023.
Jefferson County
Mansfield Residence – 7.85 KW SunPower Array on Fronius 10 KW Inverter – Port Townsend – December 2015
SunPower last year verified 25.2% efficiency in a manufactured silicon-based PV cell. This year, they have integrated that cell into a manufactured PV module which attains 24.1% efficiency. When making efficiency comparisons, the cell-level efficiency is less relevant as in order for us to utilize that power, we need the cells built into a module, which will necessarily be slightly less efficient due to the space between cells, and the small area occupied by the frame.
When we are designing a system for a home’s roof, we usually need to make as much power as we can on the available roof space in order generate the largest percentage of the home’s annual energy. So using the most efficient modules available is important to us. While these SunPower modules are not the least expensive on the market, when we can put up an array with higher power rating in the same space as an average array, we can recognize relatively lower $/watt installation costs on all the other aspects of the system.
We are now commonly utilizing SunPower X-21 345 watt modules, which are 21.5% efficient at the module level. Their high efficiency, finish quality, and industry-leading warranty make SunPower an excellent choice for almost all of our clients. For example on the installation from last winter pictured above, we used the SunPower 327 watt modules to get 7.85 KW in the available un-shaded space. If we had used an average module, running ~290 watts in this size right now, that would be a 6.96 KW array in the same space, 12% less power installed for the same amount of work.
https://us.sunpower.com/blog/2016/06/26/sunpower-solar-module-verified-241-percent-efficient/
There are several trends in the solar industry that are benefitting us locally, and driving our growth. We are currently installing over 60 KW per month, having installed 180 KW in Q4 of last year, and Q1 of 2016. That means in each quarter, we are installing as much solar as we did the first five years of business from 2003 through 2007.
We continue to see prices on pv modules slowly decrease, mostly as a result of global manufacturing capacity increases and efficiency gains. SunPower specifically has seen recent gains at its fourth “Fab” and is now approaching producing 1500 MW of pv per year.
So as a result of this increased manufacturing capacity, SunPower has been able to give us a fairly significant price cut recently, in addition to adding a 360 watt version of their standard residential pv module. We have been installing mostly 327’s for the last year, though now the 345’s are very close in price per watt and will make up the bulk of our designs for the remainder of the year. In cases where we want to make the most power possible, we will give our clients the option of the 360 watt product.
The increased installation rate here at Power Trip Energy also creates an interesting dynamic in terms of our pricing. With more and larger projects being installed each month, without our overhead significantly increasing, we can lower our installation charges on each job. So the lower equipment costs are actually resulting in lower labor charges as well.
The extension of the federal tax credit has removed a major deadline we were facing at the end of 2016 so we can intelligently plan for manageable growth this year. The waning state incentives should be considered, since we have about four more good summers to capitalize on those annual production payments from the state.
We don’t know how long these market conditions will persist, but we do know there has never been a better time to install a grid-tied pv system in Washington.
6.21kw SunPower, Sequim 2015
Are 10 Year old Solar PV Modules Obsolete?
Nope.
This 10 year old array continues to produce returns with no additional investment on our part. Thanks to the Energy Edition of Industry Focus for bringing up this topic – http://www.fool.com/podcasts/industry-focus. Sean, Tyler and Taylor – I hope you appreciate my Foolish perspective.
Utilities should look for ways to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles, including working to increase public charging infrastructure, and recognize the opportunities for increased revenue through electricity sales to this new market.
Some people within utilities are spreading fear about lost revenues due to the uptake of distributed renewable energy generation and decreased consumption through energy efficiency improvements. They are wasting their time decrying the inevitable, and more importantly, they are missing the opportunity right in front of them.
In an article here by Elias Hinkley, the point was made that by encouraging conversion of our transportation fleet from of liquid fuel vehicles to electric vehicles, there is a huge untapped opportunity awaiting electrical utilities.
The benefits are many:
- the utilities can maintain revenue growth despite the adoption of distributed renewable energy and energy efficiency
- electricity can be made locally thereby benefitting the local economy rather than oil company tyrants
- cars would be cleaner, our cities and streets more pleasant for people who choose to breathe air
- globally we would be contributing less carbon into the atmosphere
Here at Power Trip Energy, in addition to our 10 kw of pv arrays, we have two Level II fast chargers available to the public for free. We see old friends and meet new folks every day who regularly use the solar-generated electricity we choose to give away. It is fun to consider the amount of miles driven without these folks needing to buy gasoline.
We have been a destination for many tourists from out of the area despite the fact that our shop is not in the most convenient or desirable location for tourists. The trnsit stop is only 1/4 mile walk from here, and we are right on the Larry Scott Trail into town. The Broken Spoke bike shop will drop off a rental bike for people who make pre-arrangements before their visit.
In Jefferson County, the citizenry has already demonstrated leadership through the high per capita adoption of electric vehicles and solar pv. The question now is whether we will help our leaders see the benefits of following our example, or will we allow our leaders to retain old-school thinking and impede our progress.
Economic Devt of Energy on Jefferson County Land – Upcoming Workshop and Public Energy Lunch
Tuesday January 15, 11am – 12noon, Port Townsend Community Center, 620 Lawrence St (Lawrence & Tyler St), Uptown Port Townsend
At an upcoming workshop next week, local economic development professionals will speak with Norm Olsen of the Iowa Energy Center of ISU regarding the possibilities and feasibility of local energy production.
The Workshop Chair will be Laura Lewis, County Director, WSU Extension Jefferson County.
The panelists include:
Peter Quinn, EDC Team Jefferson (Jefferson County)
Norm Olsen, Iowa Energy Center of ISU (Ames, IA)
Jim Hansen, Ravenna Capital Management (Seattle, WA)
Graeme Sackrison, Thurston Energy (Lacey, WA)
The full schedule of public and professional Energy Lunch activity at PTCC on Tuesday, January 15th is as follows:
11:00 AM: Workshop on Local Economic Development in Energy
12:00 PM: PTCC Meeting Room Available for Brown Bag Lunch and General Discussion of Local Energy Topics of Interest
12:30 PM: Key Speaker on “Farm Energy:” Norm Olson, Iowa Energy Center of ISU (includes Q&A)
1:30 PM: Continuation of General Discussion of Local Energy Topics of Interest
2:00 PM: Farm Energy Workshop
As the population of the county continues to grow, and as the Jefferson PUD becomes our electrical utility, our community will be faced with many choices in regards to energy. Will we be able to enact efficiency measures sufficient to prevent the need for additional energy resources? If our energy needs grow and exceed our allotment from Bonnevile Power Administration, where will we go to get that energy? Will we successfully utilize the abundant renewable energy that surrounds us in the form of the sun, wind and water?
As a part of our mission here at Power Trip Energy, we are proud to facilitate public education and discussion of these topics through sponsorship of these Energy Lunches.
Please participate to inform yourself and make your opinions heard!