Northwest Stream Center

The Northwest Stream Center had several goals in initiating the installation of a photovoltaic (PV) system onto their facility. First, was to reduce the Adopt-a-Stream Foundation's use of hydropower-generated electricity. Thanks to funding provided by the Snohomish County PUD's Planet Power program, they achieved this goal by installing an easily-expandable 2-kilowatt PV system system and initiating a fundraising effort to expand that system up to 80-kilowatts. The system is intended to reduce monthly electric bills by providing power to the Trout Stream Exhibit while demonstrating how the use of alternative energy benefits salmon runs.

At the time of the project, energy monitoring provided to the Center by the Solar 4R Schools program connected the live performance data from their PV system to students and educators to analyze the system's performance data for educational purposes.

A Solar 4R Schools touchscreen kiosk located within the Center is helped achieve the Center's second goal — to educate up to 245,000 people each year that solar power is viable in the Pacific Northwest in both residential and commercial applications. Center employees, visitors and community members can interact with the system's live performance data, learn about the Planet Power program, and discover the science and regional benefits of renewable energy production.