A Washington Solar Company
We firmly believe in practicing what you preach, so at our headquarters in Kenmore, we got heaps of solar energy powering our operations. We boast over 20kW of solar on two separate buildings including a solar awning. As we work to accomplish our mission of electrifying Washington with renewable energy and stewarding an equitable and sustainable future for all, owning solar is the key to energizing our ability to make this vision into reality.
Our Solar Energy System
We applied the same best practices for solar in the Pacific Northwest in our installation. We utilized the South, East, and West facing roof sections. Fortunately, we have minimal obstructions and shade on these ideal roof spaces, meaning we could “pack” those roof sections with as much solar energy as possible! The final result is two rooftop systems with two central string inverters and optimizer combo, which provides monitoring for the array on our energy office. The old inverter on the main office does not provide monitoring. Click on the link below to check out our Energy Office’s solar power production in real time!
All-Electric appliances
Energy efficiency is critical to maximizing the use of the solar power we generate, from lighting to cooking and heating. We have designed these aspects to match our needs and ensure we stay carbon-neutral with our energy usage.
Lighting
At the NWES shop, we transformed our old garage doors into windowed garage doors while we used LED lights to lighten up our office spaces efficiently. This allows for more natural light to come in, heating out space in the Winter, which helps reduce electricity usage related to lighting and heating!
Cooking
Our stove top and oven combo is all-electric, as is our high-efficiency fridge and dishwasher. Our team loves to cook at the office, and doing so on electricity allows us to use our abundant solar energy to power our meals.
Heating and Cooling
We can provide the highest quality comfort year-round our heat-pump-powered split duct and central heating units. Depending on the number of staff in the office, heating can be broken down between split-duct or central heating, minimizing wasted hot or cooled air. Combining our heating and cooling needs with opening and closing double-pane windows.
EV Charging Infrastructure
Our shop is equipped with four EV chargers; we have two universal chargers for NACS and CSS and two sole NACS chargers. Our fleet of electrified vehicles comprises two Teslas and one Rivian truck. We want to ensure our employees in EVs always drive on a full charge. We love having customers visit our shop with their EVs so we can discuss renewable energy projects while they charge their car on 100% solar energy! Even if the sun isn’t out, our solar energy production offsets the electricity usage from charging our EVs annually.
Future Renewable Energy Upgrades
Already running on 100% solar-powered electricity and using energy-efficient lighting and appliances for our HVAC and cooking needs, what’s left to upgrade for our eco-friendly headquarters? Currently, with our grid-tied system, we are offsetting our annual electrical demand with solar, but if the grid goes down, we are left without power. That’s why we are considering adding batteries to ensure power stays on. We are also looking to replace our main electrical panels with SPAN so we can remotely manage and diagnose our electrical appliances and circuits. Combining SPAN with batteries is also crucial to maximize off-grid capacity by up to 40% due to SPAN’s innovative load-shedding system.
Steward the future of your business!
We invite businesses of all sizes to consider the positive impact of adopting renewable energy technology. Northwest Electric and Solar encourages fellow companies to explore the costs and potential savings from owning solar, EV chargers, batteries, and smart panels like SPAN. Together, businesses can contribute to a collective movement that transcends individual interests and fosters a healthier planet for future generations.
