Oregon Department of Energy Awards Funds to Ashland for Resilience Project

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
November 6, 2022

The Oregon Department of Energy has awarded $940,000 in funds to pay 100% of the project costs for an energy resilience project designed by Stracker Solar for the public power city of Ashland, Ore.

Awards were chosen based on project feasibility and strength, cost savings, economic development, and equity goals such as environmental justice.

The proposed community resilience project will be built at a city service center where Ashland’s Police and Electric Departments as well as city vehicle fueling and charging stations are located.

The installation will consist of a 75kW elevated dual-axis solar tracker system along with a new Lithium-battery system to form a microgrid for the site. The installation will produce 170,000 kWh electricity annually and support continued operation of essential services for the Electric Department and Ashland Fiber Network building, as well as continued fueling of city vehicles (which include ambulance and fire trucks), in the event of power grid failures.

The project will also provide the city’s expanding electric vehicle fleet its first 480V Level 3 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations and will include provisions to allow the electric vehicle batteries to be used for additional electricity storage in the future. The project also includes social equity elements that helped gain the grant award.