area news
february14
15
PCC Plans Largest Ground-mounted Solar Array in Portland Area
Portland Community College
will soon start construction of a
35,000-square-foot solar array at the
Rock Creek Campus.
The project is to be funded by
dollars from the 2008 bond measure
and is expected to produce 500,000
kilowatt hours of electricity in its first
year of operation – enough to fulfill
the electrical needs of 40 average sized
homes per year – and nearly 10 million
kilowatt hours during the next 20 years.
The 500-kilowatt array is a
partnership between PCC and Oregon-
based public and private entities,
including The Energy Trust of Oregon,
SolarCity, SolarWorld and the Oregon
Department of Energy. The two-acre
structure will create nearly 40 temporary
jobs, be constructed with solar panels
produced by SolarWorld in Hillsboro
and installed by local construction
workers from SolarCity. The array will
be operational this spring.
“This partnership between these
private and public players will provide
a valuable ‘pay back’ to the community
for years to come,” said PCC District
President Preston Pulliams. “In addition,
this is one of several sustainability
initiatives that PCC has undertaken to not
only help off-set energy use and costs,
but to help move forward the thinking
and development of green technologies
and green jobs.”
The system will provide 60
percent of the energy needs of Building
9, a 72,000 square-foot structure that
houses student and administrative
services and the Rock Creek Campus
library. The electricity produced will
ensure the college’s access to low
cost energy over the next
twenty years. The array will
be owned, operated and
maintained by SolarCity.
The college will have the
option to purchase it after
in St. Helens, will be closed on Monday, Feb.
20 years.
20 for Presidents’ Day.
PCC is required to spend
Women who are expecting babies or
1.5 percent of the value of
who are nursing infants may receive vouchers
applicable capital projects
for nutritious foods, if eligible by income,
on solar energy initiatives.
health risks and nutritional needs. Infants who
To best meet the 1.5 percent
are not breastfeeding may receive formula
requirement, PCC proposed
vouchers. Children 5 years old or younger
and the Oregon Department
may receive food vouchers quarterly.
of Energy agreed to
Columbia County Facts issued by
consolidate several planned
the Oregon WIC program show that in 2010,
projects throughout the
Columbia County WIC served a total of
district into this solar array.
2,254 clients, including infants and children
Working closely together,
under age 5, and pregnant, breastfeeding and
the two maximized the
postpartum women. WIC served 967 families.
cost effectiveness and
WIC certifiers schedule monthly
output of the system. PCC
appointments in five cities in Columbia
also partnered with The
County. The program issues $728,000 in food
Energy Trust of Oregon,
vouchers to families annually. The vouchers
an independent nonprofit
are redeemed at eight grocery stores, two
organization dedicated to
farmers’ markets and one farm stand in
facilitating energy saving
Columbia County.
WIC Focuses on Family Heart
Health in February
The Public Health WIC staff will
hold travel clinics in Columbia County Jan.
10-13 with the education focus on Family
Heart Health. All clinics are from 9:30 AM
to 1:15 PM for re-certification of clients and
new applicants for the Women, Infants and
Children’s (WIC) Federal food program.
The travel dates are: Scappoose,
Tuesday, Feb. 7;
Rainier, Wednesday,
Feb. 8; Clatskanie, Thursday, Feb. 9 and
Vernonia, Friday, Feb. 10.
WIC sees clients throughout the month by
appointment in the St. Helens office. The
class schedule in St. Helens has expanded to
include new sessions for age-level feeding.
Those wishing an appointment can call the
WIC Clerk at 503-397-4651 ext 2015.
To accommodate clients, the WIC
appointments will extend to 7:00 PM on Feb.
29. Late clinic is on the last Wednesday of
each month.
The Public Health office at 2370 Gable Road
2012
and generating renewable energy.
“PCC has been a great partner,”
said Kip Barrett, project development
manager at SolarCity. “The school has
been actively involved with all aspects
of their project; from site selection to
integrating the system into curriculum
for students. The project brings a new,
educational tool to the PCC campus, and
generates long-term energy savings that
will benefit the school, its faculty and
students for years to come.”
The solar array fits PCC’s
Climate Action Plan, which pledges
to reduce carbon emissions by 80
percent below 1990 levels by 2050. To
accomplish this the college will make
everything from building operations
and transportation services, to credit
programs and community outreach more
sustainable. And that includes using
the bond program to help meet these
objectives.
“The bond program is
committed to being good stewards of the
public’s dollars now and in the future,”
said Linda Degman, associate director
for the Bond Program. “It is for this
reason that it is seeking to incorporate
sustainable, energy efficient building
practices as it creates new and renovates
older educational facilities across the
district.”
The array will enhance existing
PCC academic programs focused on
green jobs and green innovations.
Students in these programs will be
able to track in real time the energy
production of the array and the benefits
of harnessing a renewable resource.
is proud to open our doors for business on
Monday, February 20th, 2012!
Hours of Operation are Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 8:30am to 5pm.
You can discover more information about
our providers and practice philosophy,
print patient registration forms through
our Patient Portal, and view accepted
insurance carriers on our website.
We look forward to partnering with the
local health professionals in contributing
to the community’s wellness!
Come meet the staff and providers at
our Open House on
Saturday, February 18th, 2012 from
9:30am to Noon
If you are unable to attend the Open House, you can visit
Vernonia Pharmacy or the West Oregon Electric Co-Op
for patient registration forms at your convenience
http://www.verdurafamilywellness.com/
Verdura Family Wellness
510 Bridge Street, Vernonia
503-429-0300
