Solar 101 Hosted by Solar Washington

Go Solar Off to Bright Start

Workshop held at the Fairhaven Library, April 27th

When we decided to launch the Go Solar Bellingham campaign for the second time we questioned our logic on focusing another campaign in the same community; one would think this area would have heard enough of our solar rant. However, as always, we are blown away by the support and eagerness Bellingham residents show towards making the place we call home a little greener.

Although we are only partially through the campaign, the amount of Kilowatts committed has already surpassed all of our previous Go Solar campaigns. Lynne Pharis, a Bellingham resident, is already enjoying free power from the sun as a result of her Go Solar Bellingham System: “We had only dreamed of having a solar system for our house until we learned about the federal and Washington state financial incentives that reduced our payback time for this investment from 20 to 5 years! Josh and the folks at Western Solar could not have been more helpful and friendly and the installation was fast and smooth. We are stars of the neighborhood!”  To read what more customers are saying, visit Testimonials. More Go Solar Bellingham installations are set to begin soon–stay tuned for more updates!

From the astoundingly high attendance at our workshops and Itek Energy factory tours to the amount of committed systems, simply saying that the campaign is off to a good start is an understatement. We are thrilled at the chance to work with so many local residents and to see the adoption of solar energy rising rapidly, especially here on our home turf.

Not only is this campaign helping to support the environment and reduce local homeowners’ energy expenses, it is also giving back to the community. As a commitment to our slogan, saving the world one solar panel at a time, the Western Solar Initiative is donating  a panel or inverter/mounting system combo for every system sold in the customer’s name to the Habitat for Humanity Women Build Passive Home set to break ground this fall here in Whatcom County. The Go Solar Bellingham campaign has already generated 2.64kWs for this project. To learn more about Habitat for Humanity Whatcom County, visit their website at www.hfhwhatcom.org or like them on Facebook! For more details visit the Western Solar Initiative

Itek Factory Tour, April 13th

If you’re interested in participating in the Go Solar Bellingham campaign, join us for our final workshop Tuesday, May 14^th, 5:30pm at Re Sources located at 2309 Meridian Street, Bellingham, WA. Just another reminder that Itek Energy will be hosting their second factory tour on Saturday, May 18^th beginning at 10:30am at their facility located at 3886 Hammer Drive, Bellingham, WA. This is a rare opportunity to see firsthand how solar modules are produced here locally. Hope to see you there! 

Western Solar's Josh Miller Elected to Board of Directors

Western Solar of Bellingham is pleased to announce that Joshua Miller has been selected to serve on the 2013 Board of Directors for Solar Washington.  Joshua has worked as the Owner and Operations Manager of Western Solar in Bellingham for the past four years, overseeing their growth into one of the leading solar installation firms in the Northwest. 

Solar Washington is a nonprofit organization composed of people, companies, programs and organizations working to advance the solar industry in our state.  They are an association of solar energy equipment manufacturers, system integrators, distributors, dealers, designers, installers, consultants, students, teachers, and solar enthusiasts. Through education and networking, they promote the development and effective use of solar and renewable energy with concern for the economic, environmental and social fabric of Washington.

Western Solar Featured as Project of the Month

Last month, Western Solar's installation was featured as the Solar Washington Project of the month!

In December this past year, iTek Energy, a solar module manufacturer located in Bellingham, added a 15,360 watt, 100% made-in-Washington photovoltaic system to their facility…a solar powered, solar manufacturer!

Western Solar, also based in Bellingham, was selected by iTek as the installer for this project. Western Solar installed 64 iTek Energy, mono-crystalline solar modules (15.36 kW) wired in-series to 8 Exeltech 1800 watt inverters. In addition, Western Solar engineered a custom solution that allows iTek to monitor and reconfigure the system to test any string or micro inverter system on the market all without leaving the factory floor. 

Go Solar Has Returned to Bellingham

Carol Salisbury, Past Go Solar Bellingham Participant

Carol and her husband Don installed two systems, one on their house and the other on their local art gallery, Chuckanut Bay Gallery.

We are excited to announce that the Go Solar Washington campaign, brought to you by Community Energy Solutions, Western Solar and Itek Energy, has returned to Bellingham. The campaign features a series of free, informational workshops, discounts, free site assessments, Itek Energy factory tours and through the Western Solar Initiative, for every system sold or referral made, a panel will be donated in your name to the Habitat for Humanity Women Built Passive Home here in Whatcom County.

That said, why Bellingham again? “Besides the fact that Bellingham is beautiful, we believe that a solar campaign at this time helps remind everyone that solar energy not only is non-polluting and renewable, it also creates local jobs” says Tammy Deets of Community Energy Solutions. In addition, it is a great time to get solar up on your roof just in time to enjoy the peak summer production season and really see a dramatic difference on your electric bills.

Join us for one of our upcoming workshops to learn “watts” about solar energy and its viability here in the Northwest. Hope to see you there!

Upcoming workshops:

Saturday March 23rd 10:00am-11:30am
Bellingham Library, main branch

Wednesday April 10th 5:30pm-7:00pm
Bellingham Library, main branch

Saturday April 27th 10:00am-11:30am
Bellingham Library, Fairhaven branch

Tuesday May 14th 5:30pm-7:00pm 
ReSources

Visit www.gosolarbellingham.com to sign up for a free workshop!

Video of Western Solar & Itek Energy

Western Solar and Itek Energy have been featured in this CBC video.

View it here.