ProLogis to lease solar-paneled rooftop space to SoCal Edison

ProLogis, one of the world's leading developers of warehouse and DC space, announced on May 10 that it will supply Southern California Edison (SCE) with solar energy generated from panels on rooftops of five ProLogis buildings in Southern California. The utility will draw power from the panels and distribute the energy to its customers.

In the first phase of the agreement, Denver-based ProLogis will provide SCE with 11.1 megawatts of solar power generated from the panels. In total, the agreement will provide SCE with about 100 megawatts of solar power generated from panels covering 2.5 million square feet of roof space in southern California, ProLogis said.

Under the agreement, SCE will own and operate the system, with the power generated from the panels feeding directly into the utility's electrical system. As the project's site host, ProLogis will receive roof rental income and construction management fees. Construction is expected to begin this summer.

"Our partnership with SCE works well for both parties—we have flat, available roof space and local construction management expertise in place to support the growth of SCE's renewable energy program," said Drew Torbin, vice president of renewable energy for ProLogis, in a statement.

"We are pleased to expand this relationship with a company that shares our vision for converting otherwise unused urban rooftop real estate into solar power stations," said John Fielder, president of SCE, in the same statement.

This is the second rooftop solar project between the two companies. The first installation, separate from the May 10 announcement, was at a ProLogis facility in Fontana, Calif.

ProLogis now has solar projects installed or under construction on 32 buildings throughout France, Germany, Japan, Spain, and the United States. The installations cover more than 10.6 million square feet (984,800 square meters) of roof space and total 24.6 megawatts.

The developer, which created a Renewable Energy division last year, said it has more than 450 million square feet (42 million square meters) of roof space worldwide available for solar installations. ProLogis controls 475 million square feet of industrial space in its three-continent network.