Overview
Proud Ground is one of the country’s foremost Community Land Trusts that helps make homeownership more accessible and affordable to people across the Northwest. In 2024, Power Northwest partnered with Proud Ground to install solar systems on four of their properties to help the residents save money on their electricity bills and power their lives with clean energy.
Background
Proud Ground, Solar for All, and Power Northwest all came together in 2024 to install solar on four separate Proud Ground supported homes in Portland. These projects were funded primarily by the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) that provides grants to individuals and businesses looking to transition to renewable energy or make efficiency enhancements.
Power Northwest’s selection as an installer on this project comes as a great point of pride for us as an organization. The selection process was designed by the homeowners that would be participating and determined by assessing equity standards and factors such as minority leadership, living wages, insurance provisions and volunteer participation within the communities served.
Objectives
While this project featured four unique homes, the goals for each were largely the same.
Energy cost savings – Systems were designed to offset a majority of grid usage and reduce monthly costs
Increase property values – Many of the installations were paired with re-roofs which make the homes more desirable when it comes time to sell
Reduce carbon footprint – Each of these homeowners are now powering their lives with clean energy
Project Scope
This project involved four unique residential solar installations in Portland. Each system was custom designed by Power Northwest to meet the energy needs of the property and sized to offset as much of the annual electricity usage as possible.
One of the challenges that was encountered during this project was that many of Proud Ground’s homes in the City of Portland were built in the early 2000s. That sounds like a relatively new home compared to a lot of the older homes across the city but it also means that the roofs are around 20 years old.
In order to install solar, a roof needs to have at least ten years of “remaining” life in order to not have to replace the roof shortly after adding solar panels. It can be beneficial for homeowners to pair the two projects together so that the new roof and solar are complete at the same time. In this instance, Proud Ground worked with PCEF and local roofer Moon Roofing & Construction so that the homeowners that needed a new roof in order to install solar were able to receive both. For Power Northwest’s part, we coordinated closely with the roofing company to streamline the projects and minimize inconveniences for the homeowners.
Implementation
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Results
Power Northwest successfully installed four systems for Proud Ground homeowners, Each designed to meet their energy needs and help them reduce their electricity bills for the long term. The outcome was considered a win by all involved:
“The results have been remarkable for our homeowners: immediate financial impact through reduced utility bills, increased property value as solar installations were often paired with necessary roof replacements, and future market advantage as solar becomes more accessible.
This project with Power Northwest reflects our shared commitment to making clean energy accessible while building stronger, more sustainable communities through strategic partnerships and community engagement.” – Katie Ulrich, Associate Director, Proud Ground
