Eight New Strackers Pop Up in Ashland in a Week

New elevated solar trackers at The Farm at SOU: A Center for Sustainability, Ashland Family Dentistry and Oak Street Tank & Steel are set to add power to our local distribution grid while reducing our Carbon footprint by over 137 MTons/year (equal to the annual sequestration of 168 acres of US forest)1

Ashland, Oregon, September 29, 2021 - Ashland’s Stracker Solar has installed three new high-power Strackers in the north end of SOU’s Sustainability Farm adjacent the ScienceWorks Museum parking lot. The new elevated PV trackers are in line with the three existing Strackers that have been producing clean local solar energy since August 2019 and will serve as a platform for Agrivoltaics and other student research at SOU. The install will bring Renewable Energy Credits to the university and is an impacting visual statement of SOU’s commitment to climate action and sustainability. 

“Southern Oregon University is committed to renewable energy,” says Dr. Vincent Smith, Director of SOU’s Division of Business, Communication, and the Environment.  “We are thrilled to partner with Stracker Solar to promote renewable energy both at SOU and throughout our community.”

The Strackers will be providing consistent solar-electric power to the community for the next 25 to 50 years, and plans are in the works for a direct DC bus charging station in the ScienceWorks parking lot. The project has been financed and built by Ashland business-owner, Brad Roupp, and the power produced is being allocated to ScienceWorks and other local properties via the city's progressive virtual net meter program. 

“Energy resilience and a secure energy infrastructure are key elements for us to meet Ashland’s present and future energy needs” said Brad Roupp, owner of Abbott’s Cottages. “Now with these additional three Strackers, along with the thee units we installed in 2019, 100% of the electricity that our business, home and vehicles consume is provided by the sun. The Strackers have proven to be the most efficient and reliable solar-generating systems, and since they allow continued use of the grounds below, they fit perfectly in urban environments."

The week these units were installed at the SOU Farm, Stracker Solar also completed a two-Stracker project at Ashland Family Dentistry on Washington Street to supply the power needed to Net-Zero the practice’s electrical use. And just days before, Stracker Solar added three new units for Oak Street Tank & Steel at 789 Jefferson Ave. This install offset the fabrication energy used at the shop in the production of the UL-listed STrackers. 

“We are proud to be the first Net-Zero electric medical practice in Ashland”, says Dr. Brandt Cullen, owner of Ashland Family Dentistry. “Our two Strackers will provide all the electricity we use, (something rooftop PV couldn’t do) and we’re already receiving compliments from our patients.”

“What a kick to install so many Strackers in a week! We’re thankful to SOU, the City, site owners, investors and installation teams that made this so fun and efficient”, says Jeff Sharpe, founder of Stracker Solar. “It's great to see local businesses step up for energy cost-savings, resilience and sustainability.”

“This is exactly what Strackers were developed for”, continues Jeff, “to transition our city to true energy sustainability, greenhouse gas reductions and clean energy jobs”.

About Strackers:

- Strackers are the most robust, highest efficiency solar power systems available, generating 50%-70% more solar energy each year than same-sized rooftop, carport or ground mount system. This efficiency translates to a 45%-65% lower carbon footprint as well. 

- Stracker’s 20' pole-mounting allows continued use of the grounds below with no need for fencing. 

- Strackers are developed and manufactured in Ashland by Stracker Solar and are documenting unparalleled performance across a variety of Northern California and Southern Oregon climates.

- Strackers are the only dual-axis trackers that carry the valued UL 3703 listing (proof of compliance with the highest electrical and mechanical engineering standards) and qualify for Energy Trust of Oregon incentives.

1 https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Brigitta Banki, Marketing Director

bbanki@strackersolar.com

Stracker Solar

Ashland, OR

541-631-1275

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