This was a fun one to put together, and the views were incredible. I published this on King County's Clean Water Stories blog, where we share articles about resource recovery and protecting public health by safeguarding our area lakes, rivers, and the Puget Sound. I loved seeing how fast the panels were installed and how they utilized every inch of that roof!

Powering Sustainability: King County boosts solar capacity for a bright future

Ryan Farrens left, and Shawn Mathews set a solar panel on the roof of the Power Quality Improvement Project building at West Point Treatment Plant.

May 24, 2024

If you’ve been following our blog over the past few years, you’re likely familiar with our ambitious Power Quality Improvement Project at West Point Treatment Plant. This involves installing 2,016 large batteries to stabilize our power supply and ensure the consistent operation of the plant’s essential functions like the massive pump motors.

The views from West Point Treatment Plant are a constant reminder of the waters we work to protect.

But there’s more to the story. Beyond the batteries, which do the lion’s share of the work, the site also harnesses a different kind of power: solar. Perched on top of a newly constructed battery building, with panoramic views of Puget Sound and the Olympics, are 140 gleaming solar panels. The 80-kW installation will help power the lighting and HVAC in the battery building so that the batteries can focus on the task at hand. Opportunities like this to turn a sun-soaked roof into a generator of renewable energy are part of the Wastewater Treatment Division’s efforts to pack sustainability into our operations, especially as new projects come online.

While biogas production remains WTD’s main source of energy production (we even sell it back to the natural gas grid), solar offers another complementary energy source to add to the mix.

As Abby Hawley, WTD solar program lead, puts it, “Solar is just one of many tools in our sustainability toolbox. Seeing its potential unfold is exhilarating. We’re lucky to live in such a beautiful place, and it’s vital to me that our work benefits our communities.”

King County’s Strategic Climate Action Plan (SCAP) targets county agencies to install 1.5 megawatts (MW) of solar power by the end of 2025, which is around the same energy used by 1200 homes. Treating wastewater is an energy-intensive process, and integrating more solar power is one tool to lower our energy footprint and make a significant dent in the County’s goal. By 2025, WTD aims to install at least 375 kilowatts (kW) of solar capacity, with a vision to scale up to 600 kW by 2030.

Later this year, WTD plans to expand our solar installations on top of a large roof over the Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station and on the Christie True Environmental Education Center (formerly the Brightwater Center) at Brightwater Treatment Plant.

We’ll also integrate solar technology into new facilities, including the West Duwamish Wet Weather Storage Facility, where solar power will be a key feature once built.

Solar panels stretch across the plant-covered green roof at Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station, where we will install additional solar power capabilities later this year.

The Pacific Northwest’s rainy reputation often casts doubt on its solar potential. Yet, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) offers data that tells a brighter story that our region’s solar irradiance not only competes with but often exceeds many areas in Germany, which is known for its extensive use of solar power.

“We may be known for rain, but we certainly get enough sun to make a difference,” says Hawley.

Every solar panel we install brings us one step closer to a future where renewable energy is the norm. So, when you are soaking up the sun this summer, know that our rooftops are doing the same and putting it to good use.