Press Release

Solar Energy Going to the Dogs

LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. – May 2, 2008 -- As the price of oil continues to go up, Brian and Julie Kruse couldn’t be happier about making the decision to install a solar photovoltaic system on their downtown Lake Oswego veterinary clinic, located at 545 1st Street.

“When we purchased this building about a year ago, oil prices were below $80 a barrel,” said Brian.  “We planned to recover the cost of the PV system in 10 to 15 years.  Now it looks like it may be closer to 5 years with energy costs rising so rapidly.”

First Street Veterinary Clinic boasts an 11.5 kilowatt system that will produce an average of 40 kilowatt hours of electricity per day, or about 50% of the building’s energy needs.

Like many people who invest in alternative energy, the couple’s motivation for going solar stemmed from a desire to do their share to help the environment.  “When we first found out about this clinic, we had just watched, "An Inconvenient Truth," and were just blown away at some of the information provided,” Julie said.  “We have a 7 year old daughter and feel that it is our responsibility to help her generation and those following to do what we can within our financial means to reduce our carbon footprint."

They were also motivated by the generous business tax credits and incentives.  “It just makes good financial sense for businesses to choose alternative energy,” Brian said. 

Oregon’s state tax credit is about 30% of the cost of a system, and the federal tax credit is also 30% on systems installed before December 31, 2008 (when the federal tax credit is due to expire).  Energy Trust of Oregon offers a cash incentive, which turned out to be close to 12%.  The PV system can also be depreciated over five years, and low interest loans are available.

“We've always been leaders in everything we've done.  We see this as important, and want to set the example for others to follow,” Brian said. 

Julie’s favorite part of the system is watching the electric meter spin backwards, generating a credit with the power company that they’ll apply to their electric bill in the cloudier months.

“We came up with a little saying not too long ago about this "theory" of global warming,” Julie said.  “Global warming...I believe it's real.  What if I'm wrong?  What if you're wrong!”