The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center in La Jolla, Calf., is now home to 237 solar panels, each generating 425W, which will reduce energy costs by an estimated 25 percent over the next 30 years, or over $1.3 million.
“Having a solar array system at The Conrad has been and is important to La Jolla Music Society’s Board of Directors,” says LJMS President and CEO Todd Schultz. “It’s important to us as a performance venue and as a participating member of this community to make every effort possible to minimize environmental impact. Although our primary mission is in the performing arts, we can work in many other ways to improve the world we live in and to serve as good community partners. We’re grateful to our visionary board members who both encouraged us to make this project happen and provided the funding to make it possible.”
LJMS donors Raffaella and John Belanich and Bebe and Marvin Zigman led fundraising efforts with major donations to cover the $307,000 cost of installation.
“We’re delighted to support the installation of the solar panel array, which will in the long run save money for LJMS,” says Raffaella Belanich. “We’re also glad LJMS can do its part to reduce our environmental impact.”
Baker Electric of Escondido was awarded the project in May 2021, and installation began on December 13, 2021. The system was energized on February 17 after receiving a Permit To Operate (PTO) from SDG&E. Construction on The Conrad had to accommodate the venue’s full performance schedule so that performers and audiences were not affected.
Details:
- 237 panels, each generating 425W for a total of 100.725kWDC.
- Panels are installed above both The Baker-Baum Concert Hall and The JAI. Both are flat roof construction, ideal for this type of installation.
- The Conrad’s construction was completed in 2019. While the solar array was not included in the original building design, infrastructure was designed to help with future expansion. Specifically, board member Peter Wagener encouraged installing internal conduit runs from the roof to the building’s loading area for easy access to the electrical room. This saved countless hours during the project and allowed installation without adding conduits to the exterior.
Tags: commercial
