Rooftop Solar Installation Doubles as Living Lab for Students
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LOS ANGELES (April 23, 2019)–Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) officials and representatives from Los Angeles Trade Technical College (LATTC) and the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) marked the completion of one of Downtown L.A.’s largest rooftop solar installations today at LATTC’s new 24th Street Parking Structure. LATTC availed of LADWP’s Solar Incentive Program (SIP), which helps offset the cost of installing a solar rooftop system on homes and business. Sharon Grove, LADWP’s Assistant General Manager and Director of Customer Experience presented LATTC with a rebate of $296,038 for participating in SIP.
The project has a capacity of 285 kW with an estimated annual production of roughly 473,640 kWh of electricity, which is equivalent to enough power for nearly 80 homes for a year. The energy produced daily by the 1,199 photovoltaic panels will help reduce the electrical load for the 24th Street Parking Structure during its busiest hours while at the same time powering the 13 dual-port electrical vehicle charging stations on the 1st floor.
“Projects like LA Trade Tech’s solar installation at a parking structure are a great example of how commercial and industrial property owners are leveraging their rooftops to offset their operating costs and support the development of clean energy across the City of Los Angeles,” said Sharon Grove. “We congratulate LATTC for their commitment to sustainability. LADWP is proud to partner with you as your neighborhood utility.””
The solar installation also has the added benefit of providing a real world equipment laboratory for students enrolled in LATTC’s Renewable Energy Programs. These programs help prepare students for entry level certifications in renewable energy trades such as solar photovoltaic and weatherization specialists and electric vehicle mechanics.
“Our responsibility as a community college is to provide comprehensive workforce training that prepares our students for renewable energy careers, and to use our renewable energy installations as living labs for hands-on education.” said Larry Frank, LATTC’s college president. “Trade Tech is a leader in creating an environment of clean energy in the classroom and in our community.”
Construction on the parking facility and solar installation began December 2012, and the project was completed in March of 2018. The solar panels are distributed across the structure’s rooftop as solar car ports that have the added benefit of providing shade for student vehicles, which will take on more importance as hot summer temperatures approach.
As of April 2019, LADWP has paid approximately $329.8M to customers in solar incentives with approximately 39,700 customer-installed solar systems connected to the grid. Although LADWP’s SIP program is currently closed to new applications, commercial customers can still purchase and receive solar energy for their facilities through the Feed in Tariff program (FiT). For more information please visit www.ladwp.com/FiT. For more information on the existing SIP program please visit www.ladwp.com/sip.
About LADWP
LADWP is the nation’s largest municipal utility, having provided water and power service to the City of Los Angeles for over 100 years. It is working towards a clean energy future with a greater reliance on renewable energy such as solar, wind and geothermal. LADWP encourages all its customers both commercial and residential to participate it its various solar programs.
About LATTC
Founded in 1925, LA Trade Tech is the oldest of all the nine colleges in the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD). The College has a master plan to install renewable energy sources on site which will consist of photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, radiant heat flooring, and a reclaimed water recirculation system. The parking structure at LA Trade Tech will be a net-zero energy building since it will provide enough energy to power itself.
About LACCD
The Los Angeles Community College District is the largest community college district in the nation and one of the largest in the world. Through the BuildLACCD Campus Improvement Program, the LACCD oversees the construction of new buildings and structures, and the development of conservation measures at all nine constituent colleges. Up to 37 LEED certified projects at Silver level and above have been completed to date, and several more are still in progress
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