Collins Aerospace and Luminace Partner with Common Energy to Support Community Solar Projects Across Portland

April 01, 2024 at 11:51 AM EDT

Portfolio of projects will generate millions of kilowatt hours of clean electricity

Collins Aerospace, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, and Common Energy, a leading community solar provider, today announced a partnership to support a portfolio of four new community solar projects across the greater Portland area. In aggregate, the projects have a capacity of 12 megawatts and will generate 17 million kilowatt hours of clean energy each year. Clean electricity from the projects will flow directly to the electric grid and replace fossil fuel generation, thereby lowering carbon emissions and benefiting the broader Portland community. The projects will be owned and operated by Luminace, a wholly owned subsidiary of Brookfield Renewables.

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According to the provisions of Oregon’s Community Solar Program, the projects will have a mix of commercial, residential and low-income subscribers. Each subscriber will receive credits on their electricity bills, proportional to their share of the projects, lowering their energy cost. In addition, all subscribers will receive Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). Collins’ facility in Wilsonville, Oregon, will make up the commercial allocation, thereby “anchoring” the portfolio. Approximately 10% of the projects’ credits will be allocated to low-income households, which will receive a guaranteed 20% savings on their electricity bills for 20 years.

“As part of our roadmap to improve the sustainability of our manufacturing operations, Collins is working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at its sites,” said Craig Brown, Wilsonville site leader for Collins. “Through this collaboration with Common Energy and Luminace, we will reduce our Wilsonville plant’s annual carbon emissions by more than 1,000 metric tons—the equivalent of taking 250 gasoline-powered cars off the road for one year. In addition, more than 80% of the facility’s annual electrical consumption will now be allocated from community solar projects.”

“We’re excited to partner with worldclass companies like Collins Aerospace and Luminace to energize community solar projects across the country,” said Richard Keiser, founder and CEO of Common Energy. “These projects will bring economic savings and environmental benefits to businesses and consumers across the greater Portland region.”

“As one of the leading distributed generation platforms in the U.S., we are excited to expand our working relationship with Common Energy as well as support our mutual client Collins Aerospace with their greenhouse gas emissions reduction initiatives,” said Brendon Quinlivan, Luminace’s Chief Executive Officer.

Common Energy would like to thank the leadership of the Energy Trust of Oregon, the Oregon Public Utilities Commission, the Community Energy Project, the Oregon Solar and Storage Industries Association (OSSIA) and the Portland General Electric for their respective efforts to bring the project to fruition.

About Collins Aerospace

Collins Aerospace, an RTX business, is a leader in integrated and intelligent solutions for the global aerospace and defense industry. Our 80,000 employees are dedicated to delivering future-focused technologies to advance sustainable and connected aviation, passenger safety and comfort, mission success, space exploration and more.

About RTX

With more than 185,000 global employees, RTX pushes the limits of technology and science to redefine how we connect and protect our world. Through industry-leading businesses – Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon – we are advancing aviation, engineering integrated defense systems, and developing next-generation technology solutions and manufacturing to help global customers address their most critical challenges. The company, with 2023 sales of $69 billion, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.

About Common Energy

Common Energy is a leading community solar provider that services over 400MW of projects across the country. Common Energy’s programs enable businesses and households to lower their energy costs, support local clean energy, and lower emissions in their communities. To join a community solar project, enroll at www.commonenergy.us. Companies interested in partnering with Common Energy, please email partners@commonenergy.us.