Do you have $15,000 in savings? Can your family afford the monthly payments and interest of a new loan? Despite attractive tax incentives, the investment necessary to transition to solar is another cost most homeowners cannot afford.

Corvallis "Sun Harvesters" excited to be able to install solar thanks to Seeds for the Sol.

Their solution: work to reduce the upfront price of solar through community wealth-sharing. The program is simple. Community members convert some of their savings to interest free loans, which a neighbor borrows to install solar on their home. Seeds for the Sol facilitates the exchange and provides loan security. It's an innovative, local solution, that Solar Oregon is really excited to see sprouting and allowing more families to go solar!

Now, in collaboration with Benton Habitat for Humanity, Seeds for the Sol has launched a crowd-funding campaign to finance solar systems on the homes of two Habitat partner families. The Kanode and Moore families have recently moved into the homes of their dreams. Consider joining us to help these deserving families achieve energy independence in this new chapter of their lives. Find out more about supporting these two families here and Seeds for the Sol financing programs here.

This fall we welcomed a new volunteer to our office, Ashley Love. Serving as our Event Coordinator, Ashley immediately jumped into action supporting our Annual Cocktail Social and Annual Member Meeting. She will be helping to plan next year's Solar Drinks and Solar Now! University.

Ashley recently moved to Portland from Eugene where she was working as Director of Communications for an international business dealing in LED lighting and manufacturing and the creative arts industries. Her event management experience spans from coordinating international exchange programs and events, to arts education programs for college students and adults and corporate trade show participation across the U.S. 

She is new to the energy sector, and is looking forward to learning more about solar and clean energy through working with Solar Oregon. Ashley attributes her interest in the environment and using resources responsibly to her experiences living in Japan and Hawaii, working on environmental/biological surveys in Tortuguero, Costa Rica, and travelling to lower income areas of Southeast Asia. She is taking graduate courses in Public Administration at Portland State University, and is hoping to gain insight into the non-profit sector through volunteering here at Solar Oregon. Her hobbies include running, bike touring and learning about other people and cultures.

Welcome to the team, Ashley!

Solar Oregon thanks our new and renewing professional members!

Solar Assist Eugene
Neil Kelly/ Mr. Sun Solar Portland
Solar Surfers Wallowa
Abundant Solar Corvallis
Dynamic Power Innovations LLC McMinnville

 To learn more about professional membership click here.

Solar Oregon works hard to get solar built in Oregon. But we can't do our work without the support of people like you! For 35 years, we've been making solar happen with workshops, tours, technical support, trainings, education, outreach, research, and advocacy. But we've still got a long way yet to go until Oregon's clean energy future is secure.

We'd love to have you as a member -- please consider joining today!