OROVILLE - Eight years ago, Lou Cecchi, a Butte College trustee, asked the question, "Have we ever thought about solar?"
Now, the college has 25,000 solar panels, and on Wednesday it claimed the title of "the first college in United States history to become `grid positive."'
"Grid positive," in Butte College's case, means the college now generates electricity worth 102 percent of the cost of the power it gets from PG&E, said Mike Miller, the college's director of facilities, planning and management.
So, instead of paying an electric bill, Butte College now gets paid by PG&E.
Cecchi, a member of the Butte College Board of Trustees, asked his question at a 2003 meeting of the board.
After that, trustees and other college officials began looking into the possibility of installing solar panels on the campus to produce electric power.
On Wednesday, a ceremony was held on the main campus to mark the completion of the college's solar-power project.
"We never set out to make history," said college President Diana Van Der Ploeg. "We just knew it made sense."
Jack Scott, chancellor of the California Community Colleges, spoke at the event.
"I really congratulate Butte College,Houston-based Quicksilver Resources said Friday it had reached pipeline deals" he said, adding that at a time when higher education in the state feels an intense financial squeeze, "This is a terrific way to cut costs."
The college's arrays of solar panels will generate more than 6.5 million
kilowatt hours of electricity per year - enough to power more than 9,200 homes,buy landscape oil paintings online. officials said.Polycore zentai are manufactured as a single sheet,
After trustees decided to go forward with solar power, the next question was "Where are we going to put all the panels?" Van Der Ploeg said. "We wanted them to be visible but not obstruct any of our views."
Now "you can't look anywhere on this campus without seeing solar panels and realizing what we're all about," she said.
The panels are on rooftops, mounted on the ground and used as canopies that shade parking areas and walkways. The solar panels were put in place in three phases, Van Der Ploeg said.
By 2005,you will need to get an offshore merchant account. almost 6,000 panels had been installed. During 2008 and 2009, another 4,000 panels were put in. And this week, workers were finishing the biggest phase, consisting of about 15,000 panels.
Of the 25,000 panels, 2,428 are on canopies over parking areas at the college's Chico Center.
The "most complicated part" was arranging funding for the $31.6 million project, she said. Sources of financing included federal Clean Renewable Energy Bonds, lease revenue bonds, bank financing and some of Butte College's own money.
It's estimated the solar project will save the college between $50 million and $75 million over 15 years, even after paying the cost of the project and interest, officials said.
Butte will save money by eliminating its electric bill,Has anyone done any research on making Plastic molding parts from scratch? getting paid for producing excess electricity and avoiding future electricity rate increases.
Officials saw one tangible benefit from the project on Wednesday. Lia White, executive manager for PG&E's north-state region, presented the college with a rebate check for $977,089.
The utility offers customers rebates because solar panels save PG&E money, White said. The electricity added to the system allows the company to serve new customers without having to build another power plant to generate electricity. The college might install more solar panels, Miller said.
Now, the college has 25,000 solar panels, and on Wednesday it claimed the title of "the first college in United States history to become `grid positive."'
"Grid positive," in Butte College's case, means the college now generates electricity worth 102 percent of the cost of the power it gets from PG&E, said Mike Miller, the college's director of facilities, planning and management.
So, instead of paying an electric bill, Butte College now gets paid by PG&E.
Cecchi, a member of the Butte College Board of Trustees, asked his question at a 2003 meeting of the board.
After that, trustees and other college officials began looking into the possibility of installing solar panels on the campus to produce electric power.
On Wednesday, a ceremony was held on the main campus to mark the completion of the college's solar-power project.
"We never set out to make history," said college President Diana Van Der Ploeg. "We just knew it made sense."
Jack Scott, chancellor of the California Community Colleges, spoke at the event.
"I really congratulate Butte College,Houston-based Quicksilver Resources said Friday it had reached pipeline deals" he said, adding that at a time when higher education in the state feels an intense financial squeeze, "This is a terrific way to cut costs."
The college's arrays of solar panels will generate more than 6.5 million
kilowatt hours of electricity per year - enough to power more than 9,200 homes,buy landscape oil paintings online. officials said.Polycore zentai are manufactured as a single sheet,
After trustees decided to go forward with solar power, the next question was "Where are we going to put all the panels?" Van Der Ploeg said. "We wanted them to be visible but not obstruct any of our views."
Now "you can't look anywhere on this campus without seeing solar panels and realizing what we're all about," she said.
The panels are on rooftops, mounted on the ground and used as canopies that shade parking areas and walkways. The solar panels were put in place in three phases, Van Der Ploeg said.
By 2005,you will need to get an offshore merchant account. almost 6,000 panels had been installed. During 2008 and 2009, another 4,000 panels were put in. And this week, workers were finishing the biggest phase, consisting of about 15,000 panels.
Of the 25,000 panels, 2,428 are on canopies over parking areas at the college's Chico Center.
The "most complicated part" was arranging funding for the $31.6 million project, she said. Sources of financing included federal Clean Renewable Energy Bonds, lease revenue bonds, bank financing and some of Butte College's own money.
It's estimated the solar project will save the college between $50 million and $75 million over 15 years, even after paying the cost of the project and interest, officials said.
Butte will save money by eliminating its electric bill,Has anyone done any research on making Plastic molding parts from scratch? getting paid for producing excess electricity and avoiding future electricity rate increases.
Officials saw one tangible benefit from the project on Wednesday. Lia White, executive manager for PG&E's north-state region, presented the college with a rebate check for $977,089.
The utility offers customers rebates because solar panels save PG&E money, White said. The electricity added to the system allows the company to serve new customers without having to build another power plant to generate electricity. The college might install more solar panels, Miller said.
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