Mar 1 2011
The Sonic Drive-in at Wilsonville recently had something new on the menu – solar panels. Jess Wetsel, owner of the drive-in took the decision to install a 45-panel, 9.9 kW solar panel array over one of the canopies.
The solar panels are a part of Wetsel’s desire to be more community oriented and the solar panels will probably be implemented at the drive-ins at Hillsboro and Tigard as well.
Sonic Drive-in at Wilsonville
Lake Oswego-based, NW Photon Energy developed and installed the arrays. President of NW Photon Energy, Kirk Cameron states that in the Pacific Northwest, this was the first installation of an array on a sonic and up to 11,380 kW of electricity can be generated annually. The advantage of the Portland General Electric’s solar payment option allows the Drive-In not only to produce but also to sell electricity to Portland General Electric. Thus, those of whom who made the decision to go “solar” have been receiving payments for the electricity their installation has generated as opposed to receiving meter readings like other consumers.
Martin Brown, a Wilsonville building official stated that there are new codes, under which the solar panels can be obtained with an over-the-counter permit and do not require other formalities.