Many people think that because we live in the Northest where rain is such a part of our lives, that solar power would not be viable option for efficient energy collection. This is far from the case; in fact, Oregon is one of the most ideal locations nationally for solar energy. Here are some of the facts about solar in Oregon compared to other regions.

• Oregon gets 70% of the sunlight that Los Angeles does, yet with our longer days, we benefit from more light in the Summer.
• There were 3.8 gigawatts (GW) worth of solar panels installed worldwide in 2008. 11.1GW worth of panels will be produced in 2009, up 168 percent.
• Germany is the world leader in solar energy, in fact, about 70% of the solar panels installed worldwide are located there, yet Germany gets more rain than Seattle.

	Winter is the slowest time for solar. Clouds and rain are characteristic of the Northwest climate. The solar panels will still collect energy on cloudy days. Their efficiency will be reduced to as low as 10% on very cloudy days. The good part about the winter is that the colder temperatures increase the efficiency of the panels. On cold winter days with no clouds, the sun will shine bright on your solar panels and generate electricity more efficiently.
	Spring is a great time for solar. Cooler temperatures mixed with sunny days means very efficient energy absorption. As the days begin to get longer, so does the hours of solar collection. Net metering at this time of year is typically positive due to less use of heating and cooling units in buildings. This is a time when many solar owners can start to build up energy credits by feeding energy back into the grid.
	Summer is when we have the most sun. What makes Oregon unique is how mild our summers are compared to most of the United States. This means the solar electric system will not run as hot as the same system in another state. Cooler running means better absorption. This is the time of year when solar owners will be feeding significant energy back into the grid and building up credits for the colder winter months. An optimal solar array could generate enough credits to achieve a zero net annual energy usage.
	Fall marks the season of transition from the sunny days of summer, to the cold and cloudy days of winter. In Oregon we see many cool and sunny days during the Fall. This mix is unique to Oregon and is what makes our region great for solar electric systems. The long cool days, combined with direct sunlight helps people who have solar feed back into the grid and build up their energy credits for the cloudy winter days.

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