California Center for Sustainable Energy

Carport installation provides power and shading

Drew Ford of La Mesa, the oldest family owned car dealership in San Diego County, switched on a 200- kilowatt solar photovoltaic ( PV) system, the first solar installation at a car dealership in the county, during a ceremony held on Earth Day, April 22. Terry Clapham, CCSE manager of distributed generation, presented general manager Bill Drew a rebate check for $132,272 from the California Solar Initiative.

The PV system is mounted on six carports that stand 15’ above the ground in the dealership’s service area. This placement creates a shaded area for customers’ vehicles while supporting the 864 PV panels. In addition, the system will protect the asphalt below the carports.

“Using clean solar energy is one of the ways our business can contribute to decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and educating our customers and neighbors about the benefits of solar. This also takes pressure off the grid during peak hours of the day,” said Bill Drew. “Furthermore, it makes economic sense because we will save as much as 30 percent on our dealership’s utility costs and recover nearly 70 percent of the investment through rebates, tax credits and depreciation.”

As with many of its past facilities improvements, Drew Ford maintains a commitment to supporting the San Diego economy by hiring local vendors whenever possible. This system was custom designed and installed by Southwestern Solar Systems of El Cajon, and the panels were manufactured in Otay Mesa by Siliken Solar.

There are pictures of the PV system available on the Drew Ford website.

Continue reading May's newsletter.