Auto repair shops plan to tap into solar energy.

Byline: Tim Christie The Register-Guard

George Rode fixes cars, and now he's trying to do his part to get a few extra miles out of Mother Earth.

Rode is preparing to install solar photovoltaic electric systems on the roofs of his two Eugene auto repair shops, Euro-Asian Automotive and Autohaus.

To pay for the systems, he has obtained a $200,000 loan from the State Energy Loan Program, and he's kicking in $25,000 of his own money. He'll pay 6.75 percent interest on the five-year loan, said Jeff Keto, manager of the State Energy Loan Program.

Rode said he decided to make the investment because he is concerned about global warming.

"Everybody is going to have to react, down to the car you drive to how much garbage you create to putting down the big bucks so you can produce some of your own electricity," he said. "If you can cut down on the amount of power you consume, you're going to be doing the right thing for our society."

Tax credits from federal and state sources, as well as from the Eugene Water & Electric Board, help make the investment pencil out, he said. The fact that he owns his business property and that he has relatively flat roofs with good southern exposure also are key to making the project work, he said.

Autohaus will get a 12.4 kilowatt system, and Euroasian will get an 11.5 kilowatt system. Advanced Energy Systems of Eugene is the contractor. The systems will provide seamless power for his shops and produce about one-third of his energy needs, Rode said. If on a sunny day he produces more power than he needs, he can sell that back to EWEB.

The State Energy Loan Program loans $30 million to $40 million a year to finance 50 to 60 projects, Keto said.