Solar Panels Add Green Power to Port of San Diego

Wednesday, 12 August 2009
Contact: Barbara Moreno (619) 686-6216

When the sun is shining on San Diego Bay, it’s helping to power the Port of San Diego. That’s because the Port District installed a new photovoltaic system on the roof of the administration building annex beginning August 11.  The electricity generated by the solar panels will supplement the power feed from San Diego Gas and Electric and result in a reduction of the Port building’s peak demand and energy costs.

The $210,000 project was paid for through the Port’s Environmental fund and approved in March 2009, when the Board of Port Commissioners awarded the bid to Sullivan Solar Power of San Diego.

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Energy conservation is a critical component of the Port’s Green Port Program. The ultimate goal of the program is to achieve long-term environmental, societal and economic benefits through resource conservation, waste reduction and pollution prevention along Port tidelands.

On July 25, the Port began to work on the system’s infrastructure, interconnecting the main electrical grid with the wiring for the new photovoltaic panels. After conducting a shading study of the administration building, the roof of the annex was selected as the best location to receive direct sunlight and support the proposed solar panels.

The Port’s photovoltaic system will produce enough energy to power approximately 15 homes.

The project allows the Port of San Diego to participate in the California Solar Initiate Rebate Program, managed by the California Public Utility Commission. The rebate for installing the system is estimated to be approximately $50,000.

“Solar power projects, no matter how small, have the potential to benefit the entire San Diego region,” said Cody Hooven, environmental specialist with the Port of San Diego’s Environmental Department. “Alternative (non grid-based) power, such as solar, improves air quality, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and is generated from a clean, renewable resource.”

The Port’s new Broadway Pier Cruise Ship Terminal will also utilize solar power. The building is designed to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certification and will be the Port's first LEED-certified building.  Completion is anticipated in late 2010.

“This development will have a solar power array which will provide clean power for more than 2 percent of the building's energy use. We're also excited to be partnering with California Center for Sustainable Energy to analyze the potential for more solar projects throughout the tidelands,” said Hooven.

Other energy projects the Port is working on include an LED lighting pilot project for the Administration Building's parking lot, replacing traditional lighting with lower energy alternatives, and calculating the carbon footprint of Port Operations to track improvements and look for other ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Green Port Program unifies the Port’s environmental sustainability goals in six key areas. Overseen by the Green Port Program Steering Committee, the Port sets measurable goals and evaluates progress in each area on an annual basis. The Green Port Program both continues the Port’s existing environmental efforts and expands these efforts through new programs and initiatives.