Map Shines a Light on Portland's Solar Potential

A new interactive map shows the existing installations and potential for solar power in the Portland, Oregon area

The Oregon Clean Energy Map uses icons to show where solar power and solar thermal water heaters are installed, and lists, residential, commercial and schools.

Residents considering going solar can enter their address and get an estimate of the potential annual solar power based on the amount of sunlight that hits the building and size of the roof. The City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability worked with CH2M HILL to create the map.

Many of the homes are listed as using solar thermal, which concentrates the heat from the sun to warm the hot water heater. "Residential solar hot water systems typically save 60 percent of the energy used to heat water in an average Oregon home," said David Herrmann, client solutions director, CH2M HILL Enterprise Management Solutions, in a press release.

Oregonians who assume that the amount of sunlight is insufficient are wrong. The area gets about as much sunlight as Germany, which was the early global leader in solar power.

Portland's goal is to create five megawatts of electricity through solar energy panels by 2012, or enough solar-generated electricity to power 100 percent of the energy needs of more than 400 Oregon homes.

The creation of the map was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar America Cities program. Portland received $200,000 as one of 25 cities with the designation.