ONTARIO, Calif. — Footwear maker Timberland Co. is installing a 400-kilowatt solar power system that will meet nearly 60% of the electricity needs at its Ontario distribution center.

The 401.8-kilowatt project will include 1,960 photovoltaic modules. Northern Power Systems, a Distributed Energy Systems Corp. subsidiary, will design and construct the system. Stratham, N.H.-based Timberland will receive a $1.5 million rebate through California´s Self-Generation Incentive Program.

Timberland also will retain the green credits from the solar power system, which represent the emissions associated with power that would have come from the grid. The system annually will avert 935,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.