SAN DIEGO -- A 10,000-square-foot solar panel system has been installed on the roof of the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in San Diego's Balboa Park, it was announced Monday.

The solar panel, provided by San Diego Gas and Electric, can produce enough electricity at peak production to light 1,700 60-watt light bulbs, or enough power for about 65 homes, according to the museum.

"As the first San Diego museum to install a solar power system of this magnitude, we're excited and proud to lead the charge toward cleaner air locally and help mitigate the effects of climate change globally," said Jeffrey Kirsch, the museum's executive director.

SDG&E funded the project as part of its sustainable communities program, which seeks to have 20 percent of the region's electricity generated through, clean, renewable sources by 2010.

The solar panel system will be the centerpiece of a new science exhibition at the museum called, "So WATT! An Illuminating Look at Energy," which is scheduled to open Aug. 11.