In Spring of 2012 Fashion Furniture installed a rooftop solar system, which is among the largest of its kind in Fresno. The 1,064 photovoltaic panels convert sunlight directly into electricity.

Fashion Furniture reflects a national trend showing California leading the nation in the number of photovoltaic solar panels.  

According to a recent story in the San Jose Mercury News, sales of solar panels doubled from 2010 to 2011.  California installed 542 megawatts, accounting for 29% of all installations in the country.
        
The 250-kilowatt system at Fashion Furniture is expected to offset virtually all the average electricity bills for the store, saving $3,270,000 over the life of the system.  The 235-watt Schuco panels will produce more than 388,000 kilowatt-hours annually.
    
Those savings, combined with a federal tax-credit grant and depreciation, helped contribute to a five-year payback on the company’s solar investment.
    
Fashion Furniture qualified for a new electric-rate schedule offered by PG&E for commercial solar customers.  The schedule allowed the size of the system to be reduced, while still offsetting virtually all the current electric bills.
     
Fresno’s air quality also benefits from the new installation.  The system is expected to achieve the following each year:
1.    Reduce CO 2 emissions by 14,943,116 pounds
2.    Reduce nitrogen (smog) emissions by 47.975 pounds
3.    Reduce SO 2 (acid rain) emissions by 43,409 pounds

It is equivalent to:
1.    Removing 78.9 cars off our streets and highways
2.    Planting 128 acres of fully-grown trees.

This system was designed and built by Nova West Solar, a Fresno solar contractor, using all Valley labor.