JAN 08 03-1 SOLAR INSTALLATION PR
LMU to Have World's Largest University Solar Rooftop System
LMU to Have
Largest Solar Rooftop System of Any University in the
World
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to
Fund $3.7 Million of $4.3 Million Project
The largest solar electric rooftop system at any university in
the world and the largest system in Southern California will be
installed at Loyola Marymount University in early 2003, providing a
cleaner, more efficient source of electricity from
California’s famous sunshine.
Due to an innovative partnership between Los Angeles’
Loyola Marymount University, the Los Angeles Department of Water
and Power (LADWP), the Southern California Gas Company, and solar
electric company PowerLight, the 723-kilowatt hours peak solar
rooftop system will be installed at Loyola Marymount’s campus
in Westchester on three of the university’s largest
buildings: Gersten Pavilion, University Hall, and the Von der
Ahe Library.
Estimated at a total outlay of more than $4.3 million, the
project expense will be offset by rebates – $3.7 million from
the LADWP, and $325,000 from the Gas Company – resulting in
an actual cost to the University of only $325,000. LMU
receives the $325,000 incentive from the Gas Company as part of a
statewide program implemented by the California Public Utilities
Commission (CPUC).
Encompassing a combined 81,000 feet of rooftop, the total
project will generate roughly 880,000 kilowatt hours annually
– producing enough clean electricity in the daytime to power
more than nearly 150 homes in the Los Angeles area and resulting in
an annual reduction of carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to
driving a car more than two million miles – or the amount
that can be consumed by about 233 acres of trees annually.
Construction is expected to be complete on all three facilities by
April.
“This is a big win for everyone,” said Lynne
B. Scarboro, Loyola Marymount University’s vice-president for
administration. “Loyola Marymount will have a
cost-effective, reliable, non-polluting system that will save us
more than $120,000 annually, and we will be contributing to the
well-being of our planet, and in particular, the well-being of
Southern California. We’re grateful for the support of
the LADWP and the Gas Company, and applaud their efforts in helping
us address the energy crisis.”
Said LADWP General Manager David H. Wiggs, “The
installation of this system by Loyola Marymount in partnership with
LADWP is an outstanding model of how a coordinated effort can
result in reduced traditional energy usage, as well as tangible
savings utilizing environmentally-friendly renewable energy
resources.”
“This formidable solar system means a cleaner environment
in Los Angeles, and our incentive program is one, if not the best,
mechanism for making LA a solar leader,” added Angelina
Galiteva, executive director of Green LA Environmental Affairs and
the New Product Development Organization of the LADWP.
By investing in on-site solar generation, Loyola Marymount will
be able to effectively integrate solar electricity into its energy
mix, thereby lowering operating costs, reducing purchases of
expensive peak electricity, and doing its part to aid
California’s ongoing energy shortage. In addition to
generating electricity, PowerLight’s solar roof system
provides thermal insulation and protects the roof from weather and
UV radiation, resulting in decreased heating and cooling energy
costs and extended roof life. The solar electric system will
spare the environment from thousands of tons of emissions such as
nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide, which are
major contributors to smog, acid rain and global warming.
The University has a history of being an environmentally
conscious leader and has received numerous awards and recognition
for its efforts. Recently, Loyola Marymount was awarded a
$21,250 grant from the Metropolitan Water District for its water
conservation efforts. Launched in summer 2002, the
conservation program began with the replacement of 85 water-energy
guzzling top-load washers with more water-efficient machines.
The new washers use 56 percent less water than the previous models
and save more than 2.5 million gallons of water and $10,000
annually. In addition, the energy used to heat 300,000
gallons of hot water is offset by more than half.
The campus’ recycling program also is one of the most
comprehensive of its kind and has been recognized by
California’s Department of Conservation and the city of Los
Angeles for its outstanding efforts. When it began in 1992,
the university’s recycling program was the first truly
campus-wide recycling program in the Western United States.
The program has been praised as a national model for cost-effective
institutional recycling by the College and University Recycling
Council of the National Recycling Organization (NRC).
In addition, the University recently purchased new solid waste
and recycling equipment, which contribute to a further reduction of
solid waste spending by over one-third of the current annual
disposal expenditures despite large-scale growth of the campus
acreage during the last few years.