Solar Parking Canopies – State of California Insurance Fund

Vacaville, CA

The State of California wanted to power the new data processing center for their State Compensation Insurance Fund with solar electricity. With the building’s roofscape already well subscribed with roof-top equipment to manage the center’s cooling requirements, SDA worked with HOK Architects’ San Francisco office to design a solar covered parking array for this LEED Gold facility. The multi-hundred-kiloWatt system was designed as a network of individual “pods” to elevate the solar arrays towards the south for enhanced energy harvest. In keeping with California’s leadership in both clean energy and clean transportation, SDA also incorporated a network of solar-electric charge ports to recharge plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles.

SDA furnished technical and financial feasibility assessments, full system design and engineering, and complete construction documents. SDA also served as liaison with code and utility officials, assisted with contractor selection and training, provided technical support during construction, and performed full, independent system’s commissioning prior to turning the system over to the owner.

The system was one of the largest solar electric parking canopies in California when it was installed and provides a significant contribution to the energy needs of the SCIF facility while also advancing sustainable transportation options for the center’s staff and visitors.