DST Output, in a joint venture with its parent company DST Systems and affiliate DST Realty, recently installed one of the Sacramento region's newest solar arrays on the rooftop of its 588,000-square-foot production facility in El Dorado Hills. The massive 3.15-acre solar project is expected to produce 1.4 million kilowatt-hours annually, about the amount of energy used for burning 1,500 100-watt light bulbs round-the-clock for a year.

"The solar project represents our commitment to being continuously 'greener' and to reducing our carbon footprint in the community," says Dave Smart, director of Systems Support at DST Output, adding that the new solar project is projected to eliminate 27,398 tons of carbon dioxide over its 25-year lifespan.

"That's equivalent to planting almost 140,000 trees or reducing driving by almost 55 million miles."

DST Output's solar project is structurally unique, designed using cylindrical solar collectors as compared to standard flat panels. This allows the sun to rotate around the cylinders without the tracking required for flat panels trying to follow the sun.

The design captures direct, diffuse and reflected sunlight across a 360-degree photovoltaic surface.

The clean electricity produced from the sun atop the DST Output location also serves as a source for "giving back" to the community.

Later this year, the company is applying for a Net Energy metering agreement with PG and E that will allow power generated during the hottest parts of the day to go back into the power grid, supporting peak load periods.

"During peak periods there are a lot of additional demands on the grid and systems, and solar is a great way to reduce a significant base of the load," Smart says.

"We're extremely pleased with the new installation. It's environmentally friendly and energy efficient for the company, as well as an effective source of power for the entire region."