PermaCity Solar and American fashion retailer Forever 21 recently unveiled plans to install a 5.1-MW DC high-efficiency SunPower solar power system at Forever 21′s headquarters in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles. The system will be the largest single-rooftop solar power system in Los Angeles County and the third-largest in California.
“Forever 21 is in a unique position to encourage innovation and accelerate the adoption of clean energy, including solar power,” says Don Chang, founder and CEO of Forever 21.
The planned system makes Forever 21 the latest business to participate in the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s (LADWP) Feed-in Tariff (FiT) Program. It will also become the first project to utilize both of LADWP’s local solar programs — the FiT100 Set Pricing Program and the Solar Incentive Program at one location.
“We applaud Forever 21 for planning the largest solar rooftop system in the city and the third largest in the state,” says Marcie Edwards, LADWP general manager. “It’s a great example of how a business can use both of LADWP’s customer-focused, local solar programs to generate solar power for their own use, as well as to benefit the entire city with clean renewable energy.”
“This is where solar gets exciting,” adds Matt Peterson, chief sustainability officer for the City of Los Angeles. “Forever 21′s initiative is leading LA’s move away from fossil fuels for good.”
PermaCity is designing and installing a system for Forever 21 using SunPower solar panels. SunPower panels are designed to deliver reliable, emissions-free electricity (up to 36% more than conventional solar panels), and are warranted to deliver guaranteed performance with minimal degradation for 25 years.
“The solar [installation] we will construct on site will provide Forever 21 with the best solar technology available on the market today,” says PermaCity CEO Jonathan Port.
PermaCity will install the system using its SolarStrap racking product. Manufactured in Los Angeles, SolarStrap does not create exposed penetrations that can cause roof leaks, and does not rely on bulky ballast, which can stress a building’s structural integrity.
When completed this summer, the system is expected to generate enough energy to power approximately 1,450 Lincoln Heights homes. According to estimates, it will avoid the annual production of almost 13 million pounds of carbon dioxide – equal to the emissions created by burning 6 million pounds of coal, or the equivalent of taking 1,200 passenger cars off the roads.