March 14, 2018

Go Dawgs! Wednesday | Harborview Solar Array

The future is bright at Harborview Medical Center. Harborview recently received a grants from Seattle City Light’s Green Up Program ($50,000) and the Washington State Department of Commerce to install solar panels on the roof of the West Hospital building. Now that the installation is complete and functioning, it will offset energy needs of the hospital and provide emergency backup power for the medical center.

Previous energy conservation projects, including lighting upgrades, fan replacements, and heating and cooling upgrades, plus the new solar array will help Harborview continue to save more than $500,000 annually. These efforts also reduce the medical center’s carbon footprint by 155,394 pounds of CO₂ annually, which is equivalent to not driving 232,110 vehicle miles. Pam Jorgensen, Assistant Administrator of Harborview’s Facilities and Engineering department said, “This solar project will help us meet our carbon reduction goals, create redundant power for the West Hospital in case of an emergency, and demonstrate the feasibility of solar power on healthcare facilities.”

Thank you and congratulations to Pam Jorgensen and the Harborview operations team, as well as McKinstry,  the design-build firm that managed the entire project. Go Dawgs!

Additional reading:

• Hightower, K. 2018. Mayor Jenny Durkan tours new rooftop solar panels at Harborview Medical Center powered by Seattle City Light’s “Green  Up” program.
• McKinstry, 2017. Harborview Medical Center Installs Largest Solar Array on a Hospital in Washington Staff.
• Video: Mayor Durkan tours Harborview’s new solar rooftop.