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2007 Solar America Showcases

In 2007, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Program provided free technical assistance to these large-scale solar installation projects through its Solar America Showcases activity.

City of San Jose, California—The City of San Jose identified eight city-owned buildings suitable for solar showcase installations of up to 2 megawatts. The buildings are in highly visible downtown areas and draw large crowds. The buildings include the Children's Discovery Museum, the Tech Museum of Innovation, the San Jose McEnergy Convention Center, the City of San Jose Employee Parking Garage, and the Municipal Water Storage/Reservoir Tanks. Since this award, San Jose has also become a Solar America City.

Photo of the blue dome on the roof of the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose. Visible in the foreground are a chessboard-like fountain and grass and in the background are tall buildings framed by blue sky.

The City of San Jose began installing a 185-kilowatt solar electric array on the roof of its Tech Museum of Innovation in late September 2008. The city plans to install solar systems on government buildings throughout San Jose.


Forest City Military Communities in Hawaii—Forest City, a large-scale housing and urban developer, deployed 477 new 225-watt solar PV energy panels on two community center buildings in the Halsey Terrace neighborhood, located in the Ohana Military Community development of Pearl Harbor.

This project involves integrating solar electric and solar thermal systems into its Forest City Military Communities in Hawaii. Forest City includes the installation of solar systems on some 6,500 homes. This project is highly visible within the State of Hawaii because all planes flying into and out of Hawaii must fly over the housing development.

Photo of solar panels on roof of the Halsey Terrace Community Center, which is surrounded by green grass and a kid's playground. Clouds and trees can be seen in the background.

This Forest City military community in Honolulu, Hawaii, uses high-efficiency solar panels installed on the roof of its community center to power 10 homes.


Orange County Convention Center, Florida—The Orange County government is installing a 1-megawatt solar electric system on the roof of the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida—the largest solar electric system in the South—to serve as a Solar Showcase system. The OCCC is the second largest convention center in the country, making it an ideal location for a showcase facility representing the state of Florida.

Photo of the Orange County Convention Center in Florida with palm trees and grass visible in the foreground.

The Orange County government plans to install a large solar array on the roof of its Orange County Convention Center, the second largest convention center in the country. The system is expected to be installed in late 2009.

Northeast Housing Center, Colorado—The Northeast Denver Housing Center is installing 101 kilowatt solar electric systems on 80 permanently affordable housing units, which will stabilize electricity bills for low-income residents. The housing center plans to include the homes in the Denver Tour of Solar Homes and related home tours that are held throughout Denver each year.