A solar and wind power system
that generates all the electricity needed to support the tracking of vessels entering
and leaving waters from San Diego to Port Hueneme has been put in place at the Marine
Exchange of Southern California.
The $450,000 project, which
was supported by the Port of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Department of Water
and Power, was designed and built over more than two years. With its unveiling in
early August, it means the Marine Exchange, which operates 24 hours a day, seven
days a week, now runs on electricity generated by a sustainable network of 286 solar
panels and four wind turbines.
“We are the modern equivalent
of a lighthouse that helps ships find their way safely,” Capt. Richard McKenna,
Executive Director of the Marine Exchange, said. “With this project, we are also
a figurative lighthouse helping to guide the way to cleaner, greener operations
in the San Pedro Bay.”
The system generates more
than 87 kW, which is enough to support the Marine Exchange’s up to 60 kW power needs
and also feed surplus energy into the city’s power grid.
With the help of city grants
and rebates, the direct cost to the Marine Exchange is less than $200,000, according
to the City of Los Angeles. The Exchange expects to pay off the expense over the
next six to seven years, partially through the savings it will receive by not having
to pay an electricity bill.
It previously spent up about
$20,000 annually in energy costs, according to the City of Los Angeles.
