Atiyeh Goes Solar

Atiyeh International, Ltd. is taking its own corporate action for environmentally responsible sustainable energy by powering its operations with a ground-mounted solar array that offsets nearly 90 percent of the annual electrical needs of its warehouse and office.

Tom Atiyeh commented, “Our hand-spun vegetal dyed wool rugs are the epitome of sustainability so it is natural that we power our Oregon operations using photo-voltaic solar modules behind our warehouse. We not only provide enough electrical energy for Atiyeh International, the system also feeds excess power back into the grid of our local utility.”

The 9.9-kilowatt solar array also feeds an 8-kilowatt and 19.2-kilowatt-hour battery backup system for powering the office during a power outage to provide resilience during emergency situations. An electric vehicle charging station at the office entrance is available for visiting clients. Tom and Leslie Atiyeh are both FCC licensed ham radio operators and provide emergency communications for their community.

Financial assistance for the project was provided by Energy Trust of Oregon, the USDA Rural Development and Bank of the West. Elemental Energy engineered and installed the solar array and battery backup.