Miller Paint solar roof

Late last fall, the Miller Paint store on Murray installed solar (photovoltaic) panels on their roof. We asked store manager Michael Coats about the project.

How did you get the idea to put solar on the roof? Being a Portland company, Miller Paint has always prided ourselves on being as environmentally responsible as possible. With the advancements in solar technology, we have been attempting to utilize this source of power whenever and wherever possible. Luckily the size of the Murray Road location allowed us to place a large number of panels and make a big impact on our energy footprint.

The idea came from corporate. The decisions came from way above my pay grade, but I guarantee there was a great deal of discussion. I heard about it a few days before the glass panels began showing up in the store.

How much of the power for the business is generated by the panels? We have not seen the results at the height of summer yet, but through the last four months that they have been in operation we have cut our energy bill by more than a third.

Does the power also go to the pizza business? Yes, the panels run power through the entire building.

Do you also have a battery system to store power? No, the panels are a direct feed. As I understand it, there are small batteries to keep the transfer systems operating in case of failure, to transition to the main grid.

Is it part of the smart grid, so excess power goes into the general system? No, as it was explained to me this is an enclosed system.

What did it cost? How long will it take for the energy savings to pay that off? The investment was substantial, but my understanding is that the tax incentives for installing clean energy systems—both federal and state—took a bit of the sting out of it. We will not be sure for a while what the overall annual savings will be, but we're hoping that we can make a big impact this summer when our energy usage really peaks.

Did you get assistance from Portland General? Anyone else? The tax incentives were huge; Portland General did the final inspections more from a safety standpoint.

During my time with the company, Miller Paint has been very conscious of the special privilege that we have living and operating in one of the most beautiful areas of the country. We have always been committed to clean manufacturing and environmentally sound products. We like to say we were green before green was cool. And anyone that works at Miller can tell you that green is a very cool color.

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