New Solar Canopies Shine Among Sustainability Efforts at Long Beach Airport

Long Beach, CA – Underscoring the City’s commitment to environmental stewardship, two large solar canopy installations were installed and are now fully operational on top of the parking structures at Long Beach Airport (LGB), where City officials gathered today for Earth Day to celebrate the completion of the sustainable project.

“By harnessing the power of the sun at our award-winning municipal airport, we are taking proactive steps to reduce our carbon footprint while ensuring operational resilience,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “The completion of this solar project at LGB marks a pivotal moment in our journey towards a greener, more sustainable future.”

Long Beach Airport’s new solar canopies, which are owned and operated by Luminace, a Brookfield company, are poised to generate renewable energy that will meet approximately 70% of LGB’s electricity demands for its public facilities and airfield.

The solar panels at LGB are part of the Citywide Solar Project being overseen by the Department of Public Works. The project is funded using minimal Cap-and-Trade funds from Assembly Bill 32 and includes 11 installations throughout the City, of which nine are currently operational. The last two
installations, located at the Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Utilities, are scheduled to be operational by the summer and fall of 2024, respectively. The two solar canopy installations at LGB cover nearly 133,000 square feet of rooftop space on the airport’s two parking structures.

“The City of Long Beach embraces renewable energy solutions,” said Fifth District City Councilwoman Megan Kerr. “This project really highlights the City’s proactive and creative approach to achieve meaningful progress in mitigating climate change and advancing sustainability.” Fourth District City Councilman Daryl Supernaw, echoing those sentiments, said, “Our commitment to renewable energy is not just an investment in the present—it’s a legacy we leave for generations to come.”

Airport officials estimate that of the roughly 7.1 million kilowatt-hours used by LGB annually, solar power will cover more than 4.9 million kilowatt-hours, supplying energy to the Historic Terminal building, north and south concourses, security checkpoint, ticketing lobby, checked baggage inspection system, air carrier ramp, and airfield.

The project is in line with the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) program efforts to reduce emissions from 2016 levels, on a per passenger basis, by 20% in 2025 and 40% in 2030—with a goal for the Airport to eventually become a carbon-neutral facility.

“I’m so proud of how Long Beach Airport and the City of Long Beach recognize the importance of integrating sustainable practices into our operations,” said Airport Director Cynthia Guidry. “This solar project exemplifies our dedication to innovation and environmental responsibility, and it goes a long way toward helping us meet our ACA emissions targets. We look forward to continuing our efforts to make LGB a model of sustainability within the aviation industry.”

“It was a pleasure for the Public Works department to collaborate with Long Beach Airport to bring this project to fruition,” said Public Works Director Eric Lopez. “The installation of these solar panels is a tangible demonstration of the City’s dedication to innovation and environmental stewardship. We will continue to seek opportunities to invest in infrastructure that enhances sustainability initiatives and reduces environmental impact for the betterment of our Long Beach community.”

In addition to generating renewable energy, the solar canopies provide shade for cars parked on top of the Airport’s two parking structures, which provide ample parking within convenient walking distance to the Ticketing Lobby.

The solar projects will be owned and operated by Luminace, who also facilitated all design, engineering, and construction services to the City for these projects. Luminace collaborated with the City staff in funding the projects via a Power Purchase Agreement structure, which assisted the City in preserving its funds for other critical investments across the Community as well as achieving critical renewable energy adoption goals.

“We are excited to announce the completion of the solar portfolio for the City of Long Beach, as they join our expanding group of long-term commercial and municipal customers throughout Southern California,” said Brendon Quinlivan, CEO, Luminace. “To date, Luminace has deployed over 220 megawatts of similar on-site energy solutions throughout the state, for which careful attention is given to ensure the projects are crafted to meet the specific decarbonization goals of our customers.”

About Luminace

Luminace is one of the largest fully integrated decarbonization-as-a-service providers in North America, sponsoring accessible, reliable, and renewable energy infrastructure to empower the zero-emissions future. Luminace serves more than 10,000 customers in the educational, commercial, industrial, utility, and municipal sectors and has over 1,400 megawatts of distributed energy resources spanning 28 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and Canada. Our offerings include on- and off-site solar, energy storage and energy efficiency upgrades and retrofits. Luminace is a portfolio company of Brookfield, which operates one of the world’s largest publicly traded platforms for renewable power and sustainable solutions.
Further information is available at www.luminace.com.