HOOD RIVER, Ore. — Rosauers Supermarkets, Spokane, Wash., has installed a 91.9-kilowatt solar-electric system on the roof of a store here as part of its overall sustainability initiative, which also includes the adoption of recycling, reclamation, reusable bags, high-efficiency lighting and refrigeration, and local suppliers.
The rooftop array is comprised of 638 panels and covers approximately 60% of the store’s roof. The 15,000-square-foot system was designed, engineered and installed by Solar Nation, Portland, Ore.
Rosauers’ solar system is one of the first in Oregon to be completed under the state’s Feed-in Tariff Pilot Program, which is administered by local utilities under the auspices of the state Public Utilities Commission, and which is designed to provide a reasonable return on investments in solar-power generation systems.
The renewable energy that is produced by the system is enough to power eight average-sized homes. It is estimated that over its 25-year warranted life, the Rosauers Hood River system will keep 3,645,098 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the environment, the equivalent of eliminating 2.5 million automobile miles, or the environmental benefit provided by 72,902 trees.
“Once we had a clear picture of the environmental and financial benefits of solar, the decision to build a system was easy,” said Jeff Philipps, president of 20-store Rosauers Supermarkets, in a statement.
