Cutting Costs on the Road: How Our Table Cooperative Tapped Oregon's Zero-Emission Rebates Program

“Our Table Cooperative (OTC) is a regional co-op helping to create a resilient and interdependent local food culture.” -OTC.

OTC is a farm based in Sherwood, OR, and often delivers to Portland with their Chevy BrightDrop van, an EV that OTC recently acquired with the help of Robert Wallace at Wy’East RC&D. Wy’East helped determine the efficiency of medium-duty EVs and the savings it would provide to ensure that the BrightDrop van was a good fit for the farm. OTC was able to utilize the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)’s Oregon Zero-Emission Rebates for Oregon Fleets Program (ZERO Fleet) to receive cash rebates with the purchase of this electric delivery van.

Image Credit: Chevrolet

Thanks to OTC’s research partnership between Oregon State University and The Manav Foundation, OTC implemented a 75kW agrivoltaics system that not only shades their lettuce crops but also charges 80kW of backup energy storage to support their cold storage during power outages. With the combination of their EV delivery van and their renewable energy production they have created a closed, positive-loop system. Meaning OTC can charge their work vehicle, shade their crops, and have peace of mind knowing their produce will stay cool even in the event of a power outage.

Image Credit: Shawn Linehan- Shawn Linehan Photography

This agrivoltaics project, named the Lettuce Shine Solar Project, as well as this YouTube video discussing the project, were funded in part by Portland General Electric customers participating in PGE’s Green Future℠ program through the PGE Renewable Development Fund.