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The solar panels in the Las Positas parking lots are scheduled for completion in early April. The school plans to reduce consumption of energy from fossil fuels. This High Dynamic Range image is composed of three different exposures to increase details.

Goodbye fossil fuels, hello solar panel shades

By: Willie Wiest

Posted: 3/6/09

Las Positas College is going green by reducing their consumption of energy from fossil fuels with the new solar photovoltaic shades covering parking lots E and H.

The solar panels will be harnessing renewable energy from the sun and providing LPC with one megawatt, which is almost a quarter of the annual electrical consumption at the college.

Parking lot H was completed at the end of fall semester 2008 and made 500 new parking spaces for students and staff. Construction on the photovoltaic shades started during winter break and completion of the renewable energy source is scheduled for May this year. Chevron Energy Solutions is the design build contractor on the photovoltaic shades projects. They have been installing the solar energy generating shades at college campuses all over the state. The cost to have them installed at Las Positas College was 12.9 million dollars.

According to the Chevron Energy Solutions Web site the photovoltaic shades are made up of many solar cells put together to make modules. The modules are connected to form arrays that produce energy. The arrays are dependent on sunlight and climate conditions to have a great impact on the production of energy. At the January 6 meeting of the Citizens Oversight Committee Vice Chancellor Jeffery Kingston said that the "projects will provide covered parking, generate energy, and reduce costs." He also said that 6 million dollars of incentives will be received back by PG&E.

According to Livermorechamber.org the city of Livermore averages 73 degrees for the year, the covered parking will help keep cars cool in the warmer months and of course during those dreaded heat waves.

Also covered parking will provide protection from the sun, the rain and the birds for the cars as well as their owners. At night the shades will use high efficiency lighting to light the parking lots and make the areas more secure. "Parking has been difficult with all the construction going on," Brandee DeJesus, 19 year-old LPC student said. "But once that is gone it will be easier. Those things aren't the most attractive in the world but it's protecting our cars and saving the school money."

Las Positas is a great candidate for solar panels because of the amount of sunlight the campus gets and the few obstructions of the sun. The new photovoltaic shades will help keep the campus cool in summer, not just by providing shade in the parking lots but by fueling the air conditioning too. By reducing the need for fossil fuels with the energy harnessed from the photovoltaic shades, LPC is not only reducing costs but also doing their part to improve the status of global warming and the environment.