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PORTLAND, Ore. — A first-of-its-kind clean energy project in Portland is helping ensure thousands of seniors continue to receive meals every day — even during a power outage.
Inside the bustling kitchen at Meals on Wheels People, staff prepare between 6,000 and 8,000 meals daily for homebound seniors across the region.
“We do six to 8,000 meals every day. So fresh fruit comes in, we cook it every day. We’ve got to do 6000 to 8000 to get it out to the people we serve,” said CEO Suzanne Washington.
Now, that mission is being powered in a new way — through one of the largest solar and battery storage systems of its kind in Portland.
The organization recently installed a 256-kilowatt-hour battery system paired with rooftop solar, the largest commercial solar-plus-storage setup in the city to date. The system is expected to come online in early 2026.
During the day, solar panels generate electricity. Excess energy is stored in the battery for later use.
“The battery stores it. The next morning we can use it to condition the building and for cooking the meals downstairs,” said project manager Kristin Mueller.
That stored energy can power an entire morning of operations.
“The batteries can run a whole morning’s worth of energy. That’s every meal that’s produced in the mornings,” Mueller said.
The system is designed with reliability in mind. If the power goes out, the stored energy keeps critical systems running, including freezers, coolers and kitchen equipment.
Paired with an on-site generator, the setup creates a microgrid, allowing the facility to operate independently from the main power grid during disruptions.
The benefits go beyond backup power. Meals on Wheels People plans to use the system for “peak shaving,” relying on stored energy during high-cost periods of the day to reduce utility bills.
“What we’re hoping is with our solar and our battery storage that we will save approximately $1800 a month in our energy costs,” Washington said.
Those savings directly support the organization’s core mission.
“It’s going back into the more we can save on costs that don’t go into people, right? It goes into the food,” Washington added.
The project also highlights how large-scale clean energy systems can become more accessible — even for nonprofits — through layered funding and incentives.
“Energy Trust of Oregon is always a good first stop. They always know the funding in your area… they’re just the people you can go to and say like I want to do something like this,” Mueller said.
Support for the project included funding from the Portland Clean Energy Fund, utility programs and Energy Trust of Oregon.
Because of its size, the battery system also required updates to local building codes, helping pave the way for similar large-scale projects in the future.
For those behind it, the impact is simple and direct.
“I mean the sun comes down, charges the panels, we send it to the kitchen, we cook food for seniors in our community and it’s like just an amazing thing,” Mueller said.
It’s a full-circle system, where clean energy helps deliver something even more essential: food
