Westfield Topanga & The Village—which regists annual sales in excess of $1 billion—is now among the country’s most environmentally-conscious retail destinations as well.
With its new 9,000 solar panel array mounted above multiple parking decks becoming fully operational, the property’s total number of solar panels is nearly 15,000.
Installed in partnership with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) in three phases since 2012, Westfield Topanga & The Village’s solar power system now boasts a total capacity of over 4 MW.
“We are incredibly proud that California’s largest solar panel array at a retail center is now located at Westfield Topanga & The Village,” said Larry Green, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s EVP of development. “This milestone once again underscores our company’s unwavering commitment to sustainable development and to creating better places for the communities we serve.”
The panels are projected to reduce CO2 emissions by over 4,900 metric tons in the first year alone-–-equivalent to taking more than 1,000 cars off the road-–-or to the amount of greenhouse gases absorbed by nearly 5,800 acres of tree-packed forests.
“In order for us to continue to be a leader on climate and environmental issues, Los Angeles needs companies to do their part, follow Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s direction, and go green,” said Los Angeles city councilmember Bob Blumenfield. “I look forward to continuing to collaborate with Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and other private sector partners to support opportunities for renewable energy in my district and throughout Los Angeles.”
“LADWP is proud to partner with Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield for their significant investment in solar power at Topanga & the Village,” said Reiko Kerr, LADWP’s Assistant General Manager of Power Systems, Engineering, Planning and Technical Services. “This project is reflective of the Mayor, City Council and LADWP’s commitment to moving the region towards achieving a clean power future for the City of LA.”
The overall focus on sustainability at Westfield Topanga & The Village is a part of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s global environmental sustainability initiative, called “Better Places 2030.” The company has committed to achieve a 50% reduction of its carbon emissions by the year 2030 globally, in comparison with 2015 levels. The commitment includes direct emissions, indirect emissions generated from construction, tenant energy consumption and other property operations, as well as employee and visitor transportation.
By 2019, Westfield Topanga & The Village will achieve 30% reduction in electric energy consumption as a result of its solar and other sustainability initiatives, including interior and exterior LED lighting retrofits, skylight tinting, the installation of electric vehicle charging stations, the integration of new chilled water coils, as well as efficient lighting and chiller control systems.
“Investing in sustainable energy infrastructure is just one more example of our longstanding legacy of commitment to the Warner Center business district, the San Fernando Valley and the entire Los Angeles region,” added Molly Unger, vice president and general manager of Westfield Topanga. “Over the past decade, we have invested $800 million in creating this one-of-a-kind destination for local residents, and as this newest solar panel project makes clear, our investment extends to ensuring that the well-being of the community is at the forefront of everything we do.”
In addition to the new solar array at Westfield Topanga & The Village, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield now has solar energy systems at six California retail locations including Westfield Century City, Culver City and Fashion Square in Los Angeles; Westfield UTC in San Diego; and Westfield Valley Fair in Silicon Valley.
News item from Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield
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