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A new generation takes the helm at Washington’s oldest solar installer

Published 6:00 am Monday, March 16, 2026

The Rainshadow team - from left: Kenny Horton, Elizabeth Dinwiddie, Jon Chappelle, Tessa Ormenyi, Anika Sanders, Crystal Mossman, Joel Ray. Lower row: Timi Ferry and Gaelyn Moore. Not present but always working hard: Tommy Allgaier and Peter McWilliams.

From off-grid cabins to the regional grid, one island company is redefining what solar can do

Most people don’t think about where their electricity comes from – but in the San Juan Islands, more and more residents are thinking about where it goes. 

Tessa Ormenyi has spent the better part of a decade helping make that possible. Now, as co-owner of Rainshadow Solar & Energy Solutions alongside her wife Crystal Mossman, she’s leading the charge at the helm of a women-owned and operated business based on Orcas Island. 

“We are facing a real energy crisis in this region and I am deeply passionate about the role solar plays in solving it,” Ormenyi says. “As demand continues to grow and we move away from fossil fuels, private solar isn’t just a smart choice – it’s an investment in our future.”

Ormenyi joined Rainshadow nine years ago under the original owner. She soon became the lead electrician at the company.  

As the first licensed electrician to hold an ownership role at the company, she leads the same crew she’s worked alongside for years: four licensed electricians, four apprentices and an office team that includes Project Manager, Timi Ferry, and co-owner Crystal. 

Founded in 1989, Rainshadow Solar is Washington state’s oldest solar installation company and now the largest electrical contractor on Orcas Island. The new ownership keeps that continuity intact while expanding into broader electrical contracting, making it a one-stop shop for island residents. 

“As demand continues to grow and we move away from fossil fuels, private solar isn’t just a smart choice – it’s an investment in our future,” says new co-owner of Rainshadow Solar & Energy Solutions, Tessa Ormenyi.

The regional energy picture makes that work more pressing than ever. 

The Pacific Northwest faces growing electricity demand as homes and industries go electric. Private solar is helping to close that gap and build a stronger and more sustainable electrical system. 

Homeowners who install solar can sell excess power back to the grid through OPALCO, the island’s co-operative utility, which offers a sell-back rate structure for customers of $.085/kWh produced.

“People are often surprised to learn how well solar performs here,” Ormenyi says. “San Juan County sits in a rain shadow, so we actually get more sun than most of Puget Sound. And even on grey days, solar is still working.” 

Summer overproduction typically offsets lower winter output in what Ormenyi describes as an almost perfect bell curve. About 40 percent of customers now pair their systems with battery backup, storing that surplus energy and staying protected when outages hit. 

The off-grid work that originally defined Rainshadow Solar, powering remote cabins and homes beyond the reach of the utility grid, remains close to the team’s heart. 

“Visiting our community’s off-grid homes all across the islands is one of our favorite parts of the job,” Ormenyi says. 

Looking ahead, the company plans to install solar on Orcas Island’s upcoming Pea Patch affordable housing project through Opal Community Land Trust. 

Learn more online at rainshadowsolar.com and follow them on Facebook @rainshadowsolar.