PixelSpoke Celebrates OPALCO’s Website Launch

Cue the confetti! Orcas Power & Light Cooperative (OPALCO) has a brand new website, and it’s a beauty.

OPALCO, founded in 1937, is a member-owned, non-profit cooperative utility providing energy services to more than 11,400 members on 20 islands in San Juan County. It provides electricity that is 97% greenhouse-gas free and is generated predominantly by hydroelectric plants.

PixelSpoke first redesigned OPALCO’s website in 2008 and has worked on an ongoing basis with the cooperative as a digital marketing partner for the past 14 years.

The redesign project aimed to: 1) Update the look and feel, 2) Merge two websites, OPALCO’s main site and its Energy Savings site, into one cohesive entity, and 3) Improve key member support pages.

Updating the look and feel

While the new website has blue hues that are similar to its predecessor, evoking the water that surrounds the San Juan islands, this iteration includes a wave motif that echoes OPALCO’s new logo. On its homepage, a subtle, undulating animation further evokes an oceanic feel. Updated fonts and a refreshed color palette lend the site a cleaner and more updated look throughout.

Merging two websites

OPALCO previously had two separate websites — its main site and its Energy Savings microsite. Yet members found the multiple sites confusing and didn’t always know where to go to access the information they needed. We integrated the Energy Savings pages into the main site navigation, making the energy savings information more accessible and resulting in a more cohesive user experience.

Improving key member support pages

Energy powers our everyday lives, connecting us and enabling us to perform our daily tasks. Perhaps it’s no surprise that one of the most-visited sections of OPALCO’s website is its Outage Center, where members can get information about both planned and unplanned outages. We made the Outage Center more accessible and user-friendly, and also made key UX, design, and functionality updates to other key sections, such as Member Help, Safety Center, and Rebates. Now members can search and browse a consolidated directory of FAQs, easily find and access rebates to help them save money on energy costs, and get essential guidance on energy safety and emergency preparedness.

The website is built using flexible WordPress templates that empower the OPALCO marketing team to update pages, photos, blog posts, and other information as needed. Moving forward, OPALCO and PixelSpoke look forward to continuing their partnership to further evolve the website and continue to support OPALCO members.