TriMet, which provides public transportation in the Portland, Ore., metropolitan area, has begun work on a PV installation at the south terminus of the system's green and yellow lines in Portland. The project is the first solar energy project along TriMet's 52-mile light rail system.
REC Solar, which served as a key system design and engineering resource for the project, is installing 253 solar modules manufactured by SolarWorld of Hillsboro, Ore., as well as other system components.
Installation is expected to take approximately four weeks. When completed, the system will produce more than 67,000 kWh of power annually, offsetting energy used by site lighting and two light rail electrical systems buildings, according to TriMet.
Energy generated by the system will go directly into Portland General Electric's power grid through a power purchasing agreement. TriMet will monitor the site's energy output and performance and provide the data to nearby Portland State University for research and education purposes.