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Energy Efficiency Efforts

Updated July 18, 2014

Solar City Hall

In 1978, Cerritos dedicated the nation’s first solar-heated City Hall complex. The use of a unique solar energy system, which supplies heat and hot water for the building, gained national attention. The solar City Hall was developed during the period when the nation became energy conscious. There are approximately 1,408 square feet of solar collection panels on the roof, which assist in circulating water to collect heat and preserve the sun's thermal energy. Use of the solar panels provides approximately 57 percent of City Hall’s space heating needs and approximately 95 percent of City Hall’s hot water needs.

Magnolia Power Plant — Electric Provider

In 2001, the Cerritos Redevelopment Agency entered into an agreement with six (6) other Southern California cities to construct an energy generation facility, the Magnolia Power Plant. The plant provides clean, reliable and lower-cost electricity resources for Cerritos traffic signals, park lighting, water wells and various City facilities. In addition, the Magnolia power plant provides electricity to local schools and major businesses in the City of Cerritos. The plant uses state-of-the-art technology for natural gas fired power plants, is an environmentally friendly facility for the generation of electricity, and assists in providing long term electricity supply in Cerritos.

Solar system helps fuel the Cerritos Corporate Yard

In late 2010, a solar energy system comprised of 748 Unisolar thin film Photovoltaic solar modules was installed on the roof of one of the two 6-million gallon reservoirs at the Cerritos Corporate Yard. The solar panels generate approximately 148,000 kilowatts per year, which is enough to power approximately 50 percent of the electricity needs of the Cerritos Corporate Yard's main building. The project was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which sponsored the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program.

In late 2011, an additional set of high capacity solar panels was installed on top of the second water reservoir at the Corporate Yard. The total production of solar energy from the two photovoltaic systems at the Corporate Yard is approximately 350,000 kilowatt hours annually. The two projects provide all the energy required to power the main building as well as a substantial portion of the power used to operate an adjacent water well. The recent project also included the rehabilitation of the Corporate Yard facility's original solar water-heating system. Half of the project cost was funded through a Department of Energy grant.

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