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Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Activates 2,288 Solar Panels

In celebration of Earth Day 2009, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (SCVMC) activated a newly installed solar power system. Joined by hundreds of SCVMC employees, as well as hospital, corporate and community leaders, the 2,288 solar panels were “turned on” to the Beatles’ “Good Day Sunshine” as the crowd sang along.

SCVMC, with SunPower Corporation, a locally-based manufacturer of high-efficiency solar panels and systems, installed these solar panels on top of two multi-level parking structures, covering a 77,525 square foot area. A 720-kilowatt SunPower® Tracker system is being used to track the sun during the day, increasing sunlight capture by up to 25 percent over fixed tilt systems. The tracker system is one of the most efficient solar panels systems available on the commercial market.

The SCVMC solar power system is expected to generate approximately 10% of the SCVMC campus energy needs, and is a good example of the County of Santa Clara’s expanding efforts to combine environmental stewardship with greater efficiency.

The new system is expected to save SCVMC $350,000 per year on its PG&E bill and replace more than 41 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions over the next 30 years. This is equivalent to planting 4,300 trees or removing 3,600 cars from California’s highways. SCVMC continues to look at ways to further reduce its energy bill to meet the County’s goal of being energy neutral by 2050.

The solar power system is part of SCVMC's Green Building Project and is a significant element in its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification.

Green Building Project

SCVMC’s new hospital bed building is part of the medical center’s Green Building Project and is being designed and built to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification.

The LEED program is the most extensive and well-recognized standard that distinguishes green buildings from other buildings. While the LEED program doesn’t have a standard for inpatient hospital buildings, SCVMC is hoping to be the first in the nation to obtain LEED gold certification, which will set a national standard for public hospitals, and provide a model for other public and private sector hospitals.

The County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisor’s policy requires County Departments to follow green building concepts and the LEED program guidelines for design, construction, maintenance and demolition of buildings. The LEED program promotes high performance building practices through sustainable site design, water efficiency, energy efficiency, sustainable material selection and overall environmental quality; and use of environmentally preferred products and practices.

To meet specific LEED characteristics, SCVMC’s Green Building Project will include: enhanced exterior wall system to minimize heat loss and gain, and improve patient and staff comfort; low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) building materials to reduce indoor air pollution; water efficient plumbing fixtures; three green roof areas to reduce surface water runoff and improve views from patient rooms; recycling of a high percentage of construction waste; use of sustainably harvested wood; healthy, energy-efficient ventilation system; landscape design to minimize irrigation; and exterior lighting to reduce night-time light pollution.