"Installing solar power on the top of our building is like having our own clean power plant at the facility," says Brad Gessner, general manager of the SDCC. "Solar power is a clean, renewable energy source that doesn't deplete our natural resources."

Installing solar panels is yet another measure the SDCC is taking in order to reduce the impact of large events on the environment and keep energy costs at our facility down.

The new solar power array consists of 2,500 panels over 90,000 sf of the SDCC's roof. It is being installed at no cost to the SDCC through a 20-Year Power Purchase Agreement. The panels will be maintained, owned and operated by an outside vendor. The power the panels generate will be sold directly back to the SDCC at a lower price per kilowatt hour resulting in long-term savings in energy costs.

Additionally, the existing roof will be replaced with cool roof technology which benefits the environment in several ways. A cool roof reflects the heat of the sun and reduces the amount of heat transferred to the building below, keeping the internal temperature of the building cooler. Average energy savings with a cool roof ranges from 7-15 percent of a building's total cooling costs.