Forever 21 Selects PermaCity Solar To Construct Los Angeles County's Largest Single-Rooftop Solar Power System

LOS ANGELES, May 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In an event today attended by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, PermaCity Solar and American fashion retailer Forever 21 unveiled plans to install a 5.1-megawatt (DC) high efficiency SunPower solar power system at Forever 21's headquarters in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles.  The system will be the largest single-rooftop solar power system in Los Angeles County and the third-largest in California.

The planned system makes Forever 21 the latest business to participate in the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power's (LADWP) Feed-in Tariff (FiT) Program.  It will also become the first project to utilize both of LADWP's local solar programs—the FiT100 Set Pricing Program and the Solar Incentive Program at one location.

"Forever 21 is in a unique position to encourage innovation and accelerate the adoption of clean energy, including solar power," said Don Chang, founder and CEO of Forever 21.  "We are honored to be part of this program and to be contributing to L.A.'s goal of generating 33% of its electricity from renewables by 2020."

"We applaud Forever 21 for planning the largest solar rooftop system in the city and the third largest in the state.  It's a great example of how a business can use both of LADWP's customer-focused, local solar programs to generate solar power for their own use as well as to benefit the entire city with clean renewable energy," said Marcie Edwards, LADWP general manager.

"This is where solar gets exciting," added Matt Peterson, chief sustainability officer for the City of Los Angeles. "Forever 21's initiative is leading LA's move away from fossil fuels for good."

PermaCity is designing and installing a system for Forever 21 using SunPower solar panels, the most efficient and reliable solar panels on the market today. SunPower panels deliver up to 36 percent more electricity than conventional solar panels, and are warranted to deliver guaranteed performance with minimal degradation for 25 years.

PermaCity will install the system using its SolarStrap racking product. Manufactured in Los Angeles, SolarStrap does not create exposed penetrations that can cause roof leaks, and does not rely on bulky ballast which can stress a building's structural integrity.

"The solar system we will construct here on site will provide Forever 21 with the best solar technology available on the market today, designed to deliver reliable, emissions-free electricity over the next 25 years or more," said PermaCity CEO Jonathan Port. 

When completed this summer, the system is expected to generate enough energy to power approximately 1,450 Lincoln Heights homes. According to estimates, it will avoid the annual production of almost 13 million pounds of carbon dioxide – equal to the emissions created by burning 6 million pounds of coal, or the equivalent of taking 1,200 passenger cars off the roads. 

"We congratulate Forever 21 for joining the growing number of businesses supporting and advancing our green economy through LADWP's Feed-in Tariff program," said Mary Leslie, president of the Los Angeles Business Council, one of the FiT program's leading advocates. "We also thank the LADWP for their support in completing this installation."

The project is expected to be completed by early fall.

About FOREVER 21
Forever 21, Inc., headquartered in Los Angeles, California, is a specialty retailer of women's and men's clothing and accessories.  Known for offering the hottest and most current fashion trends, at a great value to consumers, Forever 21 is a model for fast fashion.  Forever 21 keeps its store exciting with new merchandise brought in daily.  The retailer operates more than 630 stores in the United States, with international operations in Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Panama, Philippines and other countries.  For more information please visit: www.forever21.com; Facebook.com/Forever21, Twitter.com/Forever21 and Blog.forever21.com.

About PERMACITY SOLAR
PermaCity is an innovative leader in specialized energy solutions, with more than 35 MWs of solar installed. PermaCity is both a residential and commercial SunPower dealer, and holds unique technical patents and patent pending for equipment that eliminates roof penetrations and better distributes loads across rooftops used atop some of the largest commercial buildings for Fortune 500 companies. PermaCity also holds a patent for Cathay Bank's landmark solar carport that won the Best Sustainable Retrofit Award from the Los Angeles Business Council. PermaCity believes that on-site clean energy generation can be achieved through the implementation of solar systems that utilize environmentally friendly and energy-efficient building materials in a cost-effective manner. Its industry-leading techniques can create 100% energy independent buildings. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the company draws from a professional and has created approximately 240 local jobs since 2003. For more information on PermaCity, visit http://www.permacity.com

About the LADWP Feed-in Tariff Program
In 2013, LADWP launched the nation's largest Feed-In Tariff (FiT) program , authorizing 150 MW of solar or other eligible renewable energy to be generated in LADWP's service area through 2016. That amount of clean solar energy is enough to power over 43,000 typical homes and reduce 147 metric tons of CO2 emissions, which is equivalent to removing 28,300 cars off the road. The program supports LADWP's and the city of Los Angeles' goal of creating a clean energy future for Los Angeles, reaching 33% renewable energy by 2020, and fostering a local, clean energy economy.  Considered a model for other urban areas, the FiT program is expected to generate 4,500 jobs and $500 million in private investment over the next five years, according to UCLA studies . At least half of the program's solar installations are expected in "solar hotspots" – disadvantaged areas with high solar potential and high economic need, creating jobs in high-need areas where people are ready to work.

The program is supported by the CLEAN LA Coalition, a citywide group of business, civic and environmental organizations spearheaded by the Los Angeles Business Council. To learn more, please visit www.ladwp.com/fit and www.cleanlasolar.org

About the Los Angeles Business Council
The Los Angeles Business Council is one of the most effective and influential advocacy and educational organizations in California. For over 70 years, the LABC has had a major impact on public policy by harnessing the power of business and government to promote environmental and economic sustainability in the Los Angeles region. . The LABC is proud of its work on behalf of the LADWP FiT program, and thanks the CLEAN LA Solar Coalition for its strong advocacy in support of L.A.'s clean energy future.  For more information, visit www.labusinesscouncil.org.

SOURCE SunPower Corp.