Press Releases: Southern California
January 5, 2012
Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center Goes Live with Solar Power
New solar panels to provide energy at Kaiser Permanente’s Fontana Medical Center
New solar panels at Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center create a canopy over existing parking structures.
FONTANA, Calif. — The Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center is starting 2012 on a green note as it goes live with solar panels. Installed on the roof of one of the medical center’s two parking structures, the solar panels make the Fontana facility one of the area’s first major medical centers to receive a significant amount of its energy from the sun.
In March 2010, Kaiser Permanente agreed to install solar-power systems at 11 of its California facilities. The agreement with Recurrent Energy, a solar project developer and generating company providing clean electricity to utilities and large energy users, launched one of the largest sustainable energy programs in U.S. health care.
“These solar panels further demonstrate our environmental stewardship commitment to the overall health of the communities we serve,” said Greg Christian, executive director, Kaiser Foundation Hospitals/Health Plan, Fontana and Ontario.
Installing solar panels on Kaiser Permanente hospitals, medical offices and other buildings is the first part of a larger plan to use on-site renewable energy sources to power Kaiser Permanente’s buildings nationwide. A focus on renewable energy sources is just one aspect of the organization’s industry-leading work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce the use of harmful chemicals, and promote sustainable food choices.
GREEN ENERGY UPDATES
“Solar panels at the Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center will produce approximately 10 percent of the power used on the medical center campus,” said Dominic Nigro, assistant hospital administrator, Capital Programs and Development. “That is enough electricity to power more than 150 homes for one year.”
In addition, during the summer months when a surplus of energy is expected to be produced by the solar panels, some of that energy will be returned to the power grid to be used later in the year.
The solar panels, which create a canopy over the existing open roof deck of parking structures No. 1 & No. 2 on the Fontana Medical Center campus, will not only draw the sun’s rays to be utilized for energy, but will also provide much-needed shade to the vehicles parked on the roof during hot, sunny days.
In Southern California, solar panels have been installed on the following Kaiser Permanente facilities:
- Fontana Medical Center
- San Diego Medical Center
- Irvine Medical Center
- Bellflower Medical Office Building
- Cudahy Medical Office Building
- Downey Medical Office Building
- La Mesa Medical Office Building
- Lancaster Medical Office Building
Panels were also added to medical facilities in Livermore, Santa Clara and Vallejo in Northern California.
About Kaiser Permanente Fontana & Ontario Service Area
Kaiser Permanente’s Fontana & Ontario Service Area has provided comprehensive, affordable health care to the Inland Empire for more than 60 years and serves more than 400,000 members. The Fontana & Ontario Service Area includes the Kaiser Foundation Hospitals in Fontana and Ontario, and medical offices in Fontana, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Colton, Claremont, Montclair, Chino, San Bernardino, Victorville, Redlands, and Upland. For more info, visit Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is America’s leading health care provider and not-for-profit health plan founded in 1945 with the mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. Care for our 8.9 million members is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert medicine is empowered by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention and chronic disease management. Through these innovations, along with clinical research, health education and community support, Kaiser Permanente is shaping the future of health care. For more information, go to: www.kp.org/newscenter.
