Port Townsend High School has a solar array thanks to
Puget Sound Energy, Power Trip Energy
and the Bonneville Environmental Foundation 

Port Townsend, WA. – (Feb. 6, 2008) – Port Townsend community members, Mayor Michelle Sandoval, and Puget Sound Energy (PSE) officials today joined Port Townsend High School (PTHS) students, teachers, and administrators to celebrate the donation of PSE’s latest renewable energy demonstration project – a solar array at the high school. PTHS, the first Olympic Peninsula school selected to participate in PSE’s Solar 4R Schools program, joins the growing ranks of regional educational institutions dedicated to teaching students and communities about sustainable energy practices.

“Port Townsend’s citizens have shown overwhelming leadership and support for renewable energy, particularly through customer-owned renewable generation,” said Cal Shirley, PSE’s vice president of Energy Efficiency Services.  “We’re proud to be working with Port Townsend High School to demonstrate the benefits of solar to students and the greater Port Townsend community.”

Tim Behrenfeld, the PTHS “teacher champion” thinks the project will encourage his students to take action. “If we want students to become future leaders, it is imperative that our current leaders demonstrate a commitment to sustainability” he said. “PSE’s donation will have a significant impact on many students in this school.”

The 1.02-kilowatt solar-electric project, the fifth such installation funded by PSE since 2004 in the utility’s primarily Western Washington service area, is designed to do more than just generate electricity. As a learning tool, the solar system introduces students to renewable energy technology and provides them with an opportunity to explore global energy issues in an interactive, hands-on way. The web-based data monitoring system that accompanies PTHS’s new installation allows students to monitor real-time system performance and to download historical data for presentation and analysis. An interactive touch-screen kiosk, centrally located in the school auditorium, displays live system data and information about conservation and other renewable energy sources.

Power Trip Energy, a general contractor specializing in the sale and installation of renewable energy systems, applied for the Solar 4R Schools grant and installed the system on the school gym.  “With four PTHS alumni in the company, we are hoping this will be the first step in a more technical renewable energy curriculum at the high school,” said Andy Cochrane co-owner of Power Trip Energy.

The PTHS project is part of PSE’s broader effort to encourage more widespread adoption of renewable energy technology. Since 2004, PSE has partnered with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) to identify regional schools and institutions committed to the educational requirements and maintenance of having a pubic demonstration project.  The five facilities that have received solar demonstration projects include:

• Institute for Environmental Research and Education (Vashon, WA)
• Puget Sound Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee’s (PSEJATC) Training Center (Redmond , WA)
• Washington Middle School (Olympia, WA)
• Redmond High School (Redmond, WA)
• Bellingham Environmental Learning Center (Bellingham, WA)

As a participant in the Solar 4R Schools program, PTHS students and teachers have committed to undertaking a variety of educational endeavors, including incorporating the Solar 4R Schools classroom exercises into the existing curriculum at the school, and creating a film that documents the installation and operation of the solar array.

About the PV and Monitoring Systems
The solar power system includes six Sharp NT-170U1 solar modules, allowing for a peak capacity of approximately 1020 watts.  One 1800-watt SMA power inverter converts the DC output from the solar panels to useable AC power. The system is expected to generate more than 1,000 kilowatt-hours of renewable electricity per year. The data acquisition and monitoring system, from Fat Spaniel Technologies, Inc., allows students to monitor current and historical energy production and weather conditions. Real-time data for the PTHS solar project will be available on the Web at www.b-e-f.org.

About Puget Sound Energy (PSE)
Washington state’s oldest and largest energy utility, with a 6,000-square-mile service area stretching across 11 counties, PSE serves more than 1 million electric customers and nearly 725,000 natural gas customers, primarily in Western Washington.  PSE meets the energy needs of its growing customer base through incremental, cost-effective energy efficiency, procurement of sustainable energy resources, and far-sighted investment in the energy-delivery infrastructure.  PSE employees are dedicated to providing great customer service to deliver energy that is safe, reliable, reasonably priced, and environmentally responsible. For more information, visit www.PSE.com.

About the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF)
Founded in 1998, the non-profit Bonneville Environmental Foundation furthers the development and use of new renewable energy resources and restores watershed ecosystems. With the goal of powering change, BEF reduces dependency on fossil fuels by adopting clean, environmentally friendly sources of energy. Through revenues generated from the sales of green power products, BEF funds projects that restore damaged watersheds and support new renewable energy projects from solar, wind and biomass.  BEF pioneered the sale of Green Tags in 2000 and has helped establish national standards for certification and trading. More information is available on the Web at www.b-e-f.org or www.GreenTagsUSA.org.

About Power Trip Energy, Corp.

Founded in 2002, Power Trip Energy is a general contracting firm specializing in the design, sale, and installation of solar electric and solar thermal renewable energy systems.  To date Power Trip has installed 92 grid tied solar power systems totaling 270 kW of power, most located on the north Olympic Peninsula.  Four of Power Trip’s seven employees are graduates of Port Townsend High School.  Learn more about solar power at www.powertripenergy.com.