Trees love solar!
By Greg Tudor
Most people think of one thing when they think of Portland: rain. But it’s a well-kept secret that Portland gets more than enough sun to make solar panels a realistic option for many homes. Thanks to groups like Energy Trust of Oregon and Clean Energy Works Oregon, more and more homes in Portland are making the switch to solar. And while we all know the energy-saving benefits that trees provide for our homes, how do we best accommodate trees and solar panels?
Friends of Trees is teaming up with Imagine Energy to help make trees and solar panels conflict-free. Our friends at Imagine have put together this handy diagram to help you make the best decision about where to plant your new tree in order to maximize current solar panels or solar panels you hope to install in the future.
The good news is that you can have both trees and solar panels. There are just two things to remember when siting a tree near a solar array:
- Don’t plant your trees too close to the west or southwest face of your home
- If your roof faces west, don’t plant a tree directly to the west
But why do the hard work yourself? Why not have the experts come in and take a look? As a special incentive, friends who sign up for a solar project or home energy remodel (a Complete Home Energy Assessment) will also help Friends of Trees. Use this code CNIENFOT when you sign up for your solar or qualified Clean Energy Works project, and Friends of Trees will receive $250. Hurry! This offer is only good for sign-ups before November 30, 2012.
Click here to sign up for your no-upfront cost Complete Home Energy Assessment (including solar).
–Tudor is Development Manager for Friends of Trees.