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Port Installing Solar Panels on Its General Services Building

Wednesday, 08 June 2011
Contact: Marguerite Elicone (619) 686-6222

Staying true to its commitment to reduce its carbon footprint on the tidelands of San Diego Bay, the Port of San Diego is installing photovoltaic panels on its General Services Building in National City.

Construction began on June 7 for the approximately $310,000 project to install 270 solar panels on the building, located at 1400 Tidelands Avenue in National City.

The panels will be installed on the south-facing roof area of the two-story, 45,243-square-foot structure. The south-facing area will provide the best exposure to the sun for solar power generation. In addition to the panels, power monitoring and control equipment will be installed to provide readouts on the electrical production of the photovoltaic system.

By using sunlight to create electricity, the photovoltaic installation will protect and improve the environmental conditions of the tidelands by reducing energy costs and carbon emissions.

“This photovoltaic system will have the capacity to generate 94,000 kilowatts of power per year, which greatly reduces the District’s energy use,” said Scott Peters, Chairman of the Board of Port Commissioners. “It will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save the Port money.”

The Port’s General Services Building consumes about 550,000 kilowatts of power per year. The new system will produce about 90,000 kilowatts per year. It is projected to save the Port approximately $12,000 in annual electrical utility costs.

Approximately 120 employees including mechanics, electricians, painters, gardeners and administrative workers are headquartered in the Port’s General Services Building, which opened in 2003. The facility includes space for storage of maintenance equipment, as well as a fuel station and wash bay.

This is the third time that the Port of San Diego has installed solar panels on a public building. In September 2009, the Port completed a project that installed more than 100 solar panels on its Administration Building’s annex, located at 3165 Pacific Highway. That system generates 24 kilowatts of power per day, which is equal to powering 15 homes. In December 2010, the Port completed construction of the Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier. The building serves as both a cruise ship terminal and a public events facility. It included a system that provides 30 kilowatts of power per day and San Diego Gas & Electric added another 30 kilowatt system as part of its Sustainable Communities Program.

Money for the General Services Building project was budgeted in the Port’s Environmental Fund. Approved in 2006 by the Board of Port Commissioners, the fund provides money for projects that improve the environmental quality of the tidelands.