PacNWPedaler

The winter output numbers are what I keep modeling for Portland. My 4kW array generates maybe 7–8kWh on a clear January day, which is almost nothing. How much does your generator actually run between November and February? That specific number is the one I can't find anywhere and it's what's holding me back from taking the full off-grid transition seriously.

Oregon has a self-certification path for residential solar under 10kW through many AHJs — it skips the full plan review and compresses the permit timeline significantly. Worth a five-minute call to your building department before you start the application. It saved me about six weeks on my 4kW install last year.

Oregon has community solar through PGE and Pacific Power but waitlists are long. I signed up for a PGE Clean Wind subscription as a placeholder while I'm on the community solar waitlist — not the same economics, but it's what a renter in a north-facing unit can actually do. The article's point about income-qualified access being an afterthought in most states tracks. Oregon isn't as bad as some but it's not Illinois.