Encinitas, Calif.-based North Coast Health Center’s 265 kilowatt roof-top installation is now operational, providing more than 452,000 kilowatt hours of energy annually to the facility. The installation provides more than 75 percent of the facility’s common energy needs, saving North Coast Health Center $3.5 million in energy costs over the life of the system.

North Coast Health Center is owned and operated by AmeriCare Medical Properties and is home to a variety of health care providers including, Scripps Coastal Medical Group, Imaging Healthcare Specialists, UC San Diego and Center for Surgery of Encinitas.

The solar installation is one part of AmeriCare’s $1 million investment in environmentally friendly and energy-efficient improvements. Other upgrades that have taken place over the year include: reflective cool roofs, LED building and tenant light replacement, LED parking lot light upgrade, Variable Frequency Drives in cooling yards and campus-wide modern window tinting.

Based on EPA estimates, system will offset the environmental equivalent of removing 36,000 gallons of gasoline consumed annually or 338,000 pounds of coal burned annually.