A Redmond business is being honored for standing out in its use of renewable energy.

Utility Trailer Sales of Oregon-Redmond recently put a 48-kilowatt solar array at its facility at 825 NE Hemlock Ave. General Manager Elizabeth Gallardo said the project was part of the energy efficient construction at the facility that opened in July 2015.

The company wanted to do something new when it added a new location to go along with its headquarters in Clackamas, where it has been for 30 years, Gallardo said.

“We really wanted to take advantage of the number of sunny days in Central Oregon,” she said. “A solar array makes more sense in Central Oregon than it does in the Valley, because of the weather.”

The 150 panels, which were installed by E2 solar of Bend, are expected to reduce the electric bill at Utility Trailer Sales’ 27,000-square-foot building by 80 to 90 percent, Gallardo said. She expects it to pay for itself within four years, partly because of the tax incentives and grants available for renewable projects.

With the panels expected to last 50 years, that could mean quite a bit of savings.

“The technology keeps improving, but they’ll be a permanent fixture as long as the building is here,” she said.

Utility Trailer Sales sells and services new and used commercial trailers and parts, and services and paints a variety of vehicles, including school buses. Gallardo said the savings the company will see will particularly be noticed in the painting area, which uses a large amount of power.

Gallardo doesn’t know of any similar-sized industrial facilities in the area that run on net-zero solar energy, where the energy bought from electric companies is offset by that sold back into the power grid.

“People may not be familiar with how many incentives are available,” she said.

The solar project is being rewarded by the nonprofit climate change awareness group 350 Deschutes, which was scheduled to present Utility Trailer Sales with a “Climate Champion” award at a conference this week in Bend.

“The clean economy offers value to individuals, businesses, and communities,” Diane Hodiak, 350 Deschutes executive director, said in a statement.

Gallardo is pleased to receive the award.

“I think it’s a really special honor,” she said last week. “It’s a good recognition that we care about the environment. For us, the motivation is twofold — less environmental impact and also a financial impact.”

Cold Central Oregon winters might give the impression that, despite the sun, the area is not ideal for solar energy. But Gallardo said the panels actually produce less energy when they get too hot.

“Those cold winter days are big production days for us,” she said.

Keeping the panels cooler is also why the solar array is on the ground, instead of the roof, where it gets hotter. The panels take up a large area behind the facility, located in the Pioneer Business Park.

— Reporter: 541-548-2186, gfolsom@redmondspokesman.com