Jokes freely flowed when Edensaw "flipped the switch" to their new solar-powered system Nov. 2 in the midst of a three-hour countywide power outage.

"We don't have electricity, but the sun is shining," said Jim "Kiwi" Ferris, owner of Edensaw, as he welcomed about 50 customers, business partners and friends in Edensaw's warehouse against a background of an acre's worth of wood.

"We're turning Edensaw into a mecca for woodworkers," Ferris said. "I feel that Edensaw works very hard at being environmentally correct."

As the 51st business in Jefferson County to join the Forest Stewardship Council, Edensaw has worked to source responsibly harvested materials for local woodworkers and builders to use.

Now, the business has taken the next step to being environmentally friendly by installing a 100-kilowatt solar array on the roof of one of its buildings.

"We calculated that this system offsets all the energy used in all of Edensaw's buildings, except for the mill, which is a heavier user of electricity and could be a future project," said Hans Fredrickson of Frederickson Electric, which installed the solar power.

Converting its electricity to solar makes a mark on the company's carbon footprint. It is equivalent to planting 26,434 trees, or driving 102,072 fewer miles per year, or taking 242 cars off the road per year.

"We generally try to be a good steward of the planet," Ferris said, explaining how this project has been on his mind for many years. "It has benefits for everybody, not just Edensaw."

Edensaw financed the solar array with the help of a Rural Energy for America Program grant.

"We're in a position right now where it's actually local businesses that are at the forefront of innovation," said Jefferson County Commissioner Kate Dean, who spoke at Edensaw on Nov. 2. "You guys are doing the work and pushing the boundaries ... where government sometimes lags behind."

The 100-kilowatt solar array was the largest system Edensaw could install and still be within Washington state regulations.

Through a system called net metering, Edensaw can get billing credit from the PUD for the power they generate. But net-metering systems may consist of no more than 100 kilowatts of power under Washington state law. Ferris would like to eventually have a large enough system to power all of his buildings, including the mill. But it all depends on state laws and solar incentives.

"One of the interesting issues that we're running into in Washington state is that the law that was passed back in 2004 set a very low threshold for net metering," Frederickson said. "They are obligated to offer net metering up to half a percent of their annual sales of energy. ... Most utilities have actually exceeded that threshold, and after they are no longer required to accept new netmetering projects."

PUD Commissioner Jeff Randall spoke about his hopes for the future of renewable energy working more in partnership with the utility district.

"Renewable energy is a disruptor in the utility industry," Randall said. "Utilities have a hard time not wanting to buy your power. But I think we should be in the business of enabling the local economy."

Still, despite the constant pressure from the oil industry to avoid alternatives, Frederickson believes it is an energizing time in the world of solar.

"It's really exciting to see people making these choices, to drive electric cars and power by clean energy and install clean energy systems," he said.

The crowd showed that excitement as they cheered after Ferris' wife, Auman Vansandt, flipped the switch to power up the solar array. And not too long after, the power in East Jefferson County returned.