Los Angeles Plugs in Largest Solar Array on Municipally Owned Convention Center
Apr 5, 2018
LOS ANGELES (April 5, 2018) - The Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC), owned by the City of Los Angeles and managed by AEG Facilities, unveiled its 2.21 megawatt solar array on April 4, 2018 during a press conference with Mayor Eric Garcetti. Located on the roof of South Hall, this addition brings the facility’s total solar to 2.58 megawatts, making it the largest solar array on a municipally owned convention center in the United States.
Starting in October 2017, the six-month project included the construction of 6,228 panels at 355 watts each. The new array is projected to generate 3.4 million kilowatt hours per year that equates to 17 percent of the LACC’s annual energy usage. This amount of electricity produced can power 565 homes in Los Angeles.
The project will reduce the LACC’s carbon footprint by 2,554 metric tons per year. To give perspective, this is the equivalent to removing 2,794,396 pounds of coal from being burned or planting 66,192 trees.
“I am proud to celebrate the completion of the Convention Center’s solar project,” said Jon Vein, Chair of the City of Los Angeles Department of Convention and Tourism Development Commission. “This project has set a precedent for other facilities to follow and is key to keeping Los Angeles the number one solar city in America.”
The LACC is a busy facility welcoming 2.5 million visitors annually with a 75 percent occupancy rate. This project required careful design and planning to avoid disrupting the numerous events hosted in the exhibit halls below.
“This solar project was first proposed in 2014,” said Doane Liu, Executive Director of the City of Los Angeles Department of Convention and Tourism Development. “It is exciting to see it come to fruition and experience the impact it will make in the building and Los Angeles.”
This project contributes to the mission of Mayor Garcetti’s “Sustainable City pLAn” and AEG 1EARTH, AEG’s sustainability program established to reduce the company’s environmental impact. The solar array is a powerful addition to the facility that will impact energy conservation for years to come.
