Alder Solar + PHC Campus

Architect of Record: Ernie Munch

Completed: 2008

Location: Portland, Oregon

In 2007, PHC Northwest, Inc. (now Relay Resources) constructed a 114,000 square foot industrial building which we designed to host a 858kW rooftop solar photovoltaic array. This large warehouse building completed the PHC campus which we originally designed and sited in 1994 in an industrial area near the Portland International Airport. The solar power plant currently supplies 150% to 200% of the electrical power needs of the entire campus. The array covers 71,000 square feet and incorporates 4,830 Day4 Energy modules and 3.2 miles of UniRac, SunFrame racking. When completed in the fall of 2008, it was the largest roof-mounted solar array in the Pacific Northwest. The building also features a large north facing clerestory which both conserves energy used for lighting and promotes natural ventilation. The construction cost of the array was approximately $7 million, or about $8 per watt. Funding was provided by grants from the Energy Trust of Oregon, and other foundations, and through a partnership with US Bank which will make use of the state and federal tax credits that flow from the project.