Solar Panel

The hatchery’s solar panel shows how people can harness the sun’s power. The project is a 1.1 kilowatt solar-electric system and while it is too small to provide the main source of power for the hatchery’s normal electrical needs, the system is grid-tied, so its electricity is part of the overall energy mix used by the hatchery.

The panel is mostly a learning tool designed to introduce hatchery visitors to renewable energy technology and provides them with an opportunity to explore global energy issues in an interactive way.

The solar panel was installed in the spring of 2008 and was funded by Puget Sound Energy in partnership with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF).