February 7, 2003—A solar electric system has been installed at the historic Helms Bakery Building in Los Angeles. The 20-kilowatt (kW) system, installed atop of a shade carport with the assistance of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) rebates, will provide clean, renewable electricity for outdoor and common area lighting, plus to power charging stations for zero-emission electric vehicles (including one driven by the building’s owner).
The owners of the Helms Bakery Building next will install a 120-kW system (scheduled for completion in 2003) on the roof of its main Bakery building within the 11-acre site that once housed Southern California’s most famous bakery, and hosts a wide array of furniture retailers that provide home and office furnishings and accessories.
LADWP’s Solar Incentive Program, designed to support the use of the sun’s clean, renewable energy, covered approximately 48 percent of the cost of the initial solar panel installation at the Helms Bakery Building. The 20-kW system, featuring 288 solar panels, is expected to save the facility $5,000 annually in electricity costs. Solar Electrical Systems of Westlake Village designed and installed the panels.
