MORE THAN SUN-CHARGED SHADE

It’s called vision. Many Americans, having lived so long with current Washington leadership, may not recognize it.

The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) has not just built a solar paneled carport, it has expressed a vision, a vision of the New Energy world of the 21st century.

And it is building a pathway to the New Energy future.

Right now, solar energy is a great idea that is just too expensive for the average homeowner. LACCD has financing. Its newest solar panel installation will be paid off in 20 years – and the panels will go on generating power for another 10 to 20 years, proving the durability of present silicon technology. The savings will pay for the next installation, whatever the state-of-the-art technology is 3 or 4 decades from now.

And the benefits to efforts for the environment and against global climate change are the real rewards.

Seeing the world changing, the colleges will also train students for green collar jobs.

Woody Clark, energy director, LACCD: "There is a huge demand for people in the solar industry…The world has changed and we still need electricity, but this has been localized. ... We want to train people on how to climb wind turbines, how to run these new machines and on how to manage their software."

The entire community college district is gearing up for changes. Seeing the urgency, LACCD aims to have all its campuses energy independent by the end of 2008. Woody Clark, energy director, LACCD: "Have you been to a gas station recently? We have to do this now, not tomorrow…We have to get off our dependency on fossil fuels which, unfortunately are what most colleges use for power."

Imagine what the U.S. would be like if national leaders had been thinking like that for the last few years.

This rhetorical question is posed by Chevron Energy Solutions. (click to enlarge)

Solar car ports soak up big savings
Veronique de Turenne (w/Tiffany Hsu), April 23, 2008 (L.A. Times)
and
Solar carport key to green power
Connie Llanos, April 23, 2008 (L:.A. Daily News)

WHO
Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) (Larry Eisenberg, director of facilities, planning and development); Chevron Energy Solutions (Raoul L. Wood, project manager); MMA Renewable Ventures

click to enlarge

WHAT
A 1.2 megawatt Chevron Energy Solutions designed solar panel installation on the new roof of an East L.A. College Community College parking lot is part of a huge move toward green building by LACCD.

WHEN
- $2.2+ billion Proposition A and AA bond funds approved by Los Angeles voters in 2001 and 2003.
- Goal: LACCD campuses energy-self-sufficient by the end of 2008.
- Similar green construction on San Fernando Valley college campuses to start Summer 2008.

click to enlarge

WHERE
- East L.A. Community College is in the Los Angeles community of Monterey Park.
- The LACCD project also involves large-scale solar projects at Pierce, Valley and Mission colleges.

WHY
- The 1.2-megawatt East L.A. College solar farm is on the roof of the 3-acre, 530-spot parking lot. It has 5,952 photovoltaic panels, is expected to last 40 years and provide up to 45% of the college’s electricity. Savings should total about $270,000 per year.
- The installation was built by Chevron Energy Solutions and financed by MMA Renewable Ventures.
- It is part of LACCD’s “greening” of its nine colleges. When construction and renovation is completed, 44 buildings will meet the Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) certification standards developed by the U.S. Green Buildings Council and save LACCD about $12 million/year.

The new East L.A. solar installation. (Photo by Karen Tapia-Anderson, LA Times - click to enlarge)

QUOTES
- Larry Eisenberg, director of facilities, planning and development, LACCD: "The idea is to move beyond green building…The district is committed to sustainability... Now we want to create our own energy capacity."
- Tyree Weider, president, Valley College: "This helps save the taxpayers money…Basically, any time we are saving dollars, we can put more into the classroom. ... That's especially important as the district faces severe budget cuts."
- Lance Williams, director, U.S. Green Building Council (Los Angeles chapter): "LACCD has been much in the forefront of large-scale projects in renewable energy…This is another example of how the district has recognized it is a leader in this area."