Tariffs and weather impacts on coffee and cocoa beans, fluctuating dairy prices and rising utility bills all made business planning challenging for Cream Northwest, a small ice cream maker in Newberg, Oregon. But a new solar installation has cut energy costs dramatically to provide a solid path forward.
Owners Michael and Helen Roberts saw solar as a way to invest in a more sustainable and predictable future for their business.
“Our operation uses a lot of energy, and solar is a good way to create a more standardized bill,” said Michael.
Cream Northwest includes a scoop shop — located inside Newberg’s Chapters Books and Coffee — a trailer for events and a small manufacturing warehouse behind the Roberts’ home. The solar array is installed on the warehouse.
With machinery to make the ice cream and a walk-in freezer to keep it cool, the manufacturing warehouse uses plenty of energy.
Already operating on a small margin, the Roberts didn’t want to pass on rising costs to customers who may be willing to spend only so much on ice cream — even award-winning ice cream.
Cream Northwest won the No. 1 spot for favorite ice cream shops in The Oregonian’s 2025 Reader’s Choice Awards. It’s no wonder with the business serving up fresh, handmade waffle cones filled with a rotating menu of flavors like matcha strawberry, cold brew coffee and candy cap mushroom.
The blending of ice cream and solar power is a natural combination for Michael. Growing up in England, he helped his dad on a dairy farm, and he has fond memories of tasting homemade ice cream as a child. He also has troubling memories of seeing the toll the local coal industry took on neighbors who worked in the mines.
“It’s better to go with the clean energy feeling of solar,” Michael said.
When the couple decided to move forward with solar, they started researching installers and settled on Power Northwest, an Energy Trust solar trade ally.
“I didn’t know who to trust when I started researching, but they had five-star reviews on everything,” said Helen.
Power Northwest explained that as a Portland General Electric customer, Cream Northwest was eligible for an Energy Trust cash incentive, which reduced installation costs.
“It was very painless in general. The company knows what they are doing. They spent two to three hours answering all our questions,” said Helen, adding that the Energy Trust incentives were a “huge help.”
The 68-panel, 25.52 kilowatt array came online in July 2025. It will generate approximately 32,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity every year— enough power to cover all the energy use at their manufacturing warehouse — and is projected to save an estimated $5,200 annually.
“It made sense for us to invest in solar,” said Michael. “We’re not retiring any time soon and we’ll hit the break-even point in six or seven years, so why not?”
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