U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer

The City of Santa Clarita is inviting the community to join the City Council and U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer for a Solar Canopy Dedication Ceremony at the LEED-gold certified Transit Maintenance Facility on Monday at 11:30 a.m.

The event will include remarks from Senator Boxer about the potential for job creation in California through investments in clean energy and transportation infrastructure.

With the expansion of three new solar canopies and additional solar panels, the Solar Canopy Project will generate 97 percent of all electricity needed to power the facility by producing almost 1 million kilowatt hours per year. As a result of the project, the City will save approximately $137,080 a year in electricity bills, while contributing to the City of Santa Clarita’s sustainability efforts.

“The City of Santa Clarita is dedicated serving as a leader in implementing green technologies to promote the preservation of our environment,” said Mayor McLean. “The Transit Maintenance Facility is just one example of how the City of Santa Clarita is committed to greener development and responsible public policy.”

The Solar Canopy project is the result of a $4.62 million award the City of Santa Clarita received through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s Transit Investment in Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) Program. Santa Clarita was selected as one of 43 agencies to obtain funds through this grant program, receiving the fifth largest award nationwide.

The City also applied for a reimbursement from Southern California Edison’s Solar Incentive Program, which encouraged cities to install solar equipment that would generate a portion of electrical energy used to power facilities. Southern California Edison approved the City’s application resulting in over $930,000 reimbursement over the next five years.

The Solar Canopy project is part of the “Green Santa Clarita” campaign aimed at establishing the City of Santa Clarita as an environmentally sustainable community. In 2006, the Transit Maintenance Facility became the first green building in the City of Santa Clarita, which included one solar canopy. To date, the Transit facility is comprised of more than 3,200 photovoltaic (PV) modules, installed on top of the bus wash building and bus ports.

The City of Santa Clarita Transit Maintenance Facility is located at 28250 Constellation Road.

To attend the Solar Canopy Dedication Ceremony, please R.S.V.P. to the City by calling (661) 255-4939. For more information about the Transit Maintenance Facility, contact Adrian Aguilar, Transit Manager, at (661) 295-6300.

The City of Santa Clarita’s Transit Maintenance Facility is a high-quality, environmentally sensitive project that uses state-of-the-art energy efficiency and sustainable building methods. The facility is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified building by the US Green Building Council. A few design features that were incorporated in the Transit Maintenance Facility include straw bale insulated exterior walls, under-floor HVAC system through a raised-floor plenum, recycled building materials, and water efficient landscaping.