Environmental Leader

The new Sony Electronics headquarters building in San Diego uses solar-equipped parking structures to defray some of the facility’s electric needs.

Built to LEED standards – but not yet certified – the 455,000 square foot building took two years to construct, according to a press release.

The building cost $150 million to construct, according to SignsonSanDiego.

The site features a 160-kilowatt DC Mitsubishi Electric panel solar power system, which was installed by California-based solar integration company, HelioPower.

The solar installation comes as a power purchase agreement (PPA), in which San Diego Gas & Electric will own and maintain the structure, with Sony Electronics locked into a long-term deal to purchase the electricity at a set rate.

The solar array features 867 Mitsubishi Electric 185-watt photovoltaic modules and is expected to produce 230,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.

Because space was limited and a central power inverter was not an option, engineers had to design a series of smaller inverters that rest atop the parking structure.

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