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Andy Noel moved to Portland in 2007 to open a new office for California-based REC Solar, one of the country鈥檚 largest solar installation and design companies. At the time he had one employee 鈥� himself.

He hit the ground running in an environmentally conscious market, luring customers with a traditional approach: going solar makes good business sense.

Now the company鈥檚 Oregon office has 35 full-time employees and specializes in solar projects for commercial projects.

REC Solar has effectively ridden what Noel calls the 鈥渟olar coaster鈥� to a growth and success rate that shows no sign of slowing.聽By keeping abreast of key elements in the market, changes in tax incentives, local and regional environmental accreditation and policies, mercurial ordinance and legislation, and an ever-increasing growth of available products, the company has kept on top of the solar industries in Oregon and Washington, while remaining an important part of the national scene.

As board chairman of the Solar Energy Industrial Association, a national organization designed to promote all aspects of businesses involved in the solar industry, Noel saw the benefit of working to improve the market potential by not merely being green, but by making some too.

鈥淚 spent a lot of time working as board chair of the SEIA on developing the framework to improve stakeholder return,鈥� Noel said.聽鈥淔rom a business perspective, electricity costs always go up.聽The cost of solar continues to go down. It鈥檚 cost effective and responsible, combining clean energy, jobs, and reduced costs for business (utility) operations to create a new dynamic in the economy.鈥�

REC Solar鈥檚 Northwest division has played a role in a long list of projects in Oregon, including a wastewater treatment plant for the city of Gresham, Ikea, TriMet canopies for the city of Portland, an integrated walkway canopy at Portland Community College and agricultural applications in Hermiston. The company also can lay claim to having worked on the two largest roof-mounted solar array systems in the Willamette Valley 鈥� for the Fred Meyer distribution center and a Fred Meyer store in Wilsonville.

Every solar project is unique, but REC Solar keeps its approach consistent and focused on showing the customer 鈥� whether a school district in the Portland-metro area or a farmers鈥� cooperative refrigeration facility outside Pendleton 鈥� that investing in solar energy generation pays off on the bottom line.

Under Noel鈥檚 direction, REC Solar鈥檚 Northwest division has grown steadily over the past five years, and 2012 is forecast to be a good year. Ask Noel how he sees the future of the solar industry and he鈥檒l answer with a chuckle and a single word: 鈥渂right.鈥�