A new solar-clad parking lot shade will produce almost 1 megawatt of clean energy for Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Southern California.

Independent Energy Solutions unveiled the 936-kilowatt solar project at the bachelor enlisted quarters earlier this week. The new installation is expected to produce more than 1.3 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year, said George Gisel, CEO of Independent Energy Solutions.

The new installation is just one among dozens going in at bases and in government facilities around the country and around the world. The Department of Defense recently announced a goal of gaining energy self-reliance and independence by 2020, generating 100 percent of needed energy onsite using clean and renewable sources.

While Independent Energy Solutions hasn’t been contracted for all of the government and military solar installations, such as the 15-MW SunPower system that opened at the Air Force Academy earlier this month, the company has been contracted to design, build and install solar installations on several federal facilities, Gisel said.

In addition to this solar array at Camp Pendleton, the company has erected solar arrays at the U.S. Embassy in Rwanda and on the U.S. Homeland Security headquarters.

Founded in 1998, Independent Energy Solutions is one of the longest-running and most established solar design firms in the country. It’s also one of the only certified woman-owned solar companies. Founder Linda Strand is the CEO.

Independent Energy Solutions doesn’t favor one solar panel manufacturer over another and doesn’t operate with any exclusive contracts. The company uses different solar panels for different projects based on its clients’ needs and requests, Gisel said.

Some commercial businesses are concerned with certain limitations a particular kind of solar panel will be able to overcome. Some commercial projects are worried about appearances, and some make decisions based on price. Others just want the best, Gisel said.

The finished project at Camp Pendleton consists of 15 custom steel shade canopies, 4352 Kyocera solar modules, 4 Satcon inverters and a customized racking system, according to a press release. It produces the equivalent power to 120 average single-family homes and will offset about 860 tons of greenhouse gases annually—the environmental equivalent of taking 215 cars off the road.

Photo by Lance Cpl. Michael Nerl.