San Diego, CA
San Diego Cardiac Center selected Stellar Solar to design and install a solar energy system in order to reduce their energy costs. As a leading cardiac center in San Diego, we saw this as an important opportunity to also demonstrate our environmental leadership and save a significant amount of money,” said Dr. Ron Miller, MD., of the San Diego Cardiac Center. This was as much of a financial decision as it was an environmental one; we found we could produce our own
solar electricity onsite for a cost that was about 70% lower than what SDG&E charges us. That said, we are very pleased to be contributing to cleaner air in San Diego and a healthier population.”
The San Diego Cardiac Center is a premier medical facility dedicated to heart health and life-saving care. In an environment where precision is the standard, every operational detail—including energy management—must meet the highest level of reliability. In December 2011, the San Diego Cardiac Center partnered with Stellar Solar Commercial to implement a renewable energy strategy that matched their clinical excellence. By transforming their facility into an on-site power plant, the center successfully aligned their commitment to public health with a sophisticated financial hedge against rising utility costs.
Designing a solar solution for a leading medical center requires a deep understanding of facility uptime and power quality. Stellar Solar Commercial engineered a robust 60 kWp system tailored to the specific electrical profile of the center’s diagnostic and administrative infrastructure.
The technical architecture of the San Diego Cardiac Center installation features:
-255 Trina 230W Modules: These high-durability panels were selected to maximize energy capture from the center’s available roof space, providing a consistent flow of clean electricity.
-SMA Distributed Inverter Strategy: The system utilizes a configuration of five SMA-7000 and SMA-6000 inverters. This distributed approach ensures system redundancy—critical for a healthcare environment—and allows for granular performance monitoring.
-Long-Term Operational Asset: Placed into service in late 2011, this system has provided over 14 years of reliable energy, shielding the practice from nearly a decade and a half of utility rate increases.
For Dr. Ron Miller and the leadership at the San Diego Cardiac Center, the decision to go solar was a dual-purpose victory. At the time of installation, the center found they could produce their own solar electricity on-site for a cost approximately 70% lower than standard SDG&E rates. In the 2026 energy landscape, where San Diego utility rates have reached historic highs, the ROI of this 2011 decision has only intensified.
“As a leading cardiac center in San Diego, we saw this as an important opportunity to demonstrate our environmental leadership while saving a significant amount of money,” noted Dr. Miller. “We are very pleased to be contributing to cleaner air in San Diego and a healthier population.” By reducing the facility’s carbon footprint, the center is actively participating in the prevention of respiratory and cardiovascular issues linked to environmental pollution.
Since 1998, Stellar Solar Commercial has been the trusted partner for San Diego’s medical community. We understand that in healthcare, energy reliability is a matter of safety and operational integrity. Our 28-year history is built on a foundation of technical expertise and a “patient-first” approach to construction that minimizes disruption to clinic schedules.
Our in-house team of engineers handles the entire project lifecycle—from initial structural analysis to navigating the complex OSHPD (Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development) standards and utility interconnection. We specialize in working within sensitive medical environments, ensuring that patient care remains the top priority throughout the installation process.
As we move through 2026, the strategy for medical facilities has evolved to include Solar + Battery Storage. For organizations like the San Diego Cardiac Center, adding a battery system provides an essential layer of resilience, ensuring that critical diagnostic equipment and temperature-controlled medical storage remain online even during grid instability or regional power outages.
Stellar Solar Commercial continues to lead this energy revolution, helping California’s healthcare providers build a resilient, low-cost energy future. We turn high utility overhead into a sustainable tool for clinical and community health.
If your medical practice or healthcare facility is ready to follow the lead of the San Diego Cardiac Center and reclaim control over your energy future, contact Stellar Solar Commercial today at 866.787.6527. We provide comprehensive, free site evaluations to help your facility thrive.