Just in case Gov. Jay Inslee had forgotten about Central Washington's climate, Tuesday's hot temperatures and bright sunshine were a reminder of the Yakima Valley's typical summer weather — and how well-suited it is for solar energy.
The three-term governor and his wife, Trudi — residents of Selah from the 1970s through 1990s — visited Yakima on Tuesday, and their final stop was at Habitat for Humanity's Yakima office, located just south of the organization's resale store off Mead Avenue.
Gustavo Carvajal, manager of Dynamic Solar & Electric NW Corp. in Yakima, told the governor how solar panels recently installed on the roof of Habitat's adjacent resale store are saving the organization money.
The panels covering the store's roof produce an average of 768 kilowatt hours each day, and 23,054 kwh over 30 days — enough to fully power 29 homes, Carvajal said. They also save thousands of dollars per year, which Habitat for Humanity can invest in building homes.
"You're not just saving money — what you're doing is making the air cleaner," Inslee said. "There's 8 million people (in Washington) who are breathing cleaner air."
Habitat officials also told Inslee that solar panels have been installed on new Habitat houses in Yakima, and are planned for the 10 homes in the Vine development near 24th and West Mead avenues, said Jeff Swan, vice president of Habitat's local Board of Directors.
"We just dedicated our 198th house in Yakima on Friday, and it's solar-powered," Swan said. "The neighborhood at 24th and Mead, all of those houses will have solar."
Inslee told the group of about 20 people gathered at the Habitat offices how the use of solar panels and other green energy sources relates to the Yakima Valley's agriculture industry.
"I started my day (in Yakima) meeting with members of the agricultural community, who are being threatened by climate change," Inslee said. "They lost 70% of their cherry crop this year due to weird weather. Last year, they had record heat, 115-degree days ... Now I'm ending my day with Habitat for Humanity and their use of solar power, and that's part of the solution."
Bigger solar projects
During a brief question-and-answer session with members of the media, Inslee was asked about the commercial solar farms proposed and approved in Yakima County. The state's goal is for utilities to provide a carbon-neutral energy supply by 2030, and eliminate fossil fuels from electricity generation by 2045.
"We have enormous potential here (in Yakima) — we're the Saudi Arabia of sun. And the cost of solar energy continues to go down," Inslee said. "We also have emerging technology with batteries, to store that power for when the sun doesn't shine."
As the state's Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council has considered solar farm proposals along State Route 24, some conservation groups have expressed concerns about the huge arrays of solar panels impacting wildlife. The Yakima County commissioners also have questioned the recent increase in solar farm interest, and are considering a moratorium on future solar farm projects until county siting standards can be developed.
"The good news is we have a state process that considers all those things in siting solar farms," Inslee said, noting that EFSEC officials take local concerns into account during their siting and decision-making process.
