The United Methodist Church Alton L. Collins Retreat Center, located on 68 acres outside of Eagle Creek, Oregon, provides an environment for community building, continuing education, reflection, relaxation and recreation.
The center itself is surrounded by giant fir and cedar trees, so the solar panels will go on open ground the center owns across the street, where there’s more sun.
The 150 kW solar system will supply nearly half of the retreat center’s annual electricity use from the sun, replacing fossils fuel-based power and reducing emissions equivalent to those generated by burning 147,000 pounds of coal or driving a gasoline-powered car 330,000 miles.
The Alton L. Collins Retreat Center is part of Camp and Retreat Ministries, a partnership between the Oregon-Idaho Conference of the United Methodist Church and the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon.
