The new program to install solar panels throughout the district will save money for the district and help the environment, according to college district officials.

On March 10, the Ventura County Community College District’s Board of Trustees met to discuss upcoming business matters. Among presentations on new administrative tools and how to deal with the California state budget, Cheryl Heitmann and Handel Evans gave a new proposal for lowering electricity costs by installing solar panels.

Prior to the presentation, John Al-amin of Oxnard College gave a recap of all the things the college has been doing to cut down on energy costs over the past seven years, as well as laying out ways of reducing costs in the near future.

“All new buildings will conserve energy,” said Al-amin, who went on to list the new eco-friendly measures Oxnard College will be using. Those plans include higher efficiency electrical motors, natural lighting, replacement of faulty gas lines and cables, installation of waterless urinals and using a recycled water system for irrigation.

There will also be a new desert-themed garden added to the center of the campus; Al-amin added “pesticides and herbicides are not used if other means are feasible.” The garden uses little water and will be utilized as a teaching tool.

Heitmann and Evans had a more wide-reaching proposal, drawing inspiration from the Los Angeles Community College District.

Moorpark College is positioned in such a way that it has almost constant exposure to direct sunlight during the day, and the plan would involve building solar panels mainly over the car parks. In accordance with the plan, private companies would design and operate the structures for an estimated 10 years, at which point the college could choose to either buy the panels at a reduced cost or continue using the company to maintain them.

The companies would benefit from this plan in the form of tax credits, including a 30% instant tax credit, a 25% credit for rapid depreciation, and an additional credit that could go as high as 25% by selling the energy to Edison. On weekends when the power isn’t being used, it would be sent back to the electrical grid.

There have been proposals for energy saving in the past, but they proved too costly, according to Evans.
“We are looking for solutions within our scale of construction,” he said. The plan falls under the umbrella of Measure S, a bond passed in March of 2002 intended to give funding for infrastructure upgrades, expansion and repair.