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Foothill-De Anza Celebrates Solar Power and Energy Efficiency Improvements

Posted on: Wednesday, 20 July 2005, 15:01 CDT

LOS ALTOS HILLS, Calif., July 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Foothill-De Anza Community College District today announced it has completed the installation of more than 780 kilowatts of solar electric and energy-efficient cogeneration projects at both Foothill and De Anza colleges, including a moving solar-paneled parking structure that tracks the sun as it generates power. Along with prior improvements to lighting, air conditioning and energy management systems, the installations will reduce the district's electricity purchases by 46 percent -- more than 11 million kilowatt-hours annually -- and save the district about $800,000 a year.

The projects, which are funded in part from the energy savings they create, reduce the district's operating costs while lowering demand for power from the local utility, which in turn benefits the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The district's reduction in purchased power from the local utility translates to avoided local carbon dioxide emissions of more than 14 million pounds per year, equivalent to planting more than 2,000 acres of trees.

The improvements were highlighted this morning at De Anza College in Cupertino at an event held under one of the district's two new solar-paneled parking structures. Foothill-De Anza Board of Trustees President Edward A. Hay, Chancellor Martha J. Kanter, representatives from both colleges, including a recent graduate, an official of Chevron Energy Solutions and others spoke at the event.

"We're proud to serve as a model for educational institutions statewide and across the nation in achieving energy sustainability, preserving the environment while reducing energy costs and thereby maximizing resources for students," said Kanter. "We're pleased that through these energy efficiency methods as well as other means -- such as through the Kirsch Center for Environmental Studies -- we can educate students and the community about sustainability and the environment." The Kirsch Center, the Science Center and the Student and Community Services Center at De Anza College are constructed to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System(TM) standards for high-performance, sustainable buildings. The Science Center opened in fall 2004, and the Kirsch Center and Student and Community Services Center will open for the upcoming fall quarter.

The projects were designed, engineered and constructed by Chevron Energy Solutions, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chevron Corporation that provides energy efficiency, conservation and renewable power projects for public institutions throughout the United States.

"As a result of these improvements, the district is able to significantly reduce its electricity purchases while helping the environment," said Jim Davis, president of Chevron Energy Solutions. "We're delighted to have partnered with the district in projects that promote sustainable development." The latest improvements at the colleges included eight 60-kilowatt Capstone micro turbines (four at each campus) that produce electricity plus heat recovery systems that heat each campus pool efficiently, and PowerLight solar photovoltaic-paneled parking structures that provide shade and together generate 301 kilowatts of electricity. In total, the cogeneration and solar systems can produce enough electricity to power more than 700 homes.

The $5.1 million total cost of the cogeneration and solar projects was offset by $2 million in rebates from the state of California. The remainder is being paid from the energy savings resulting from the new equipment and Measure E construction bond funds.

The Foothill-De Anza Community College District enrolls more than 40,000 students each quarter and serves the communities of Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale and portions of San Jose. For more information, visit the district's Web site at http://www.fhda.edu/ and the colleges' Web sites at http://www.foothill.edu/ and http://www.deanza.edu/.

Chevron Energy Solutions partners with government and education institutions and businesses to improve facilities, increase efficiency, reduce energy consumption and costs, and ensure reliable, high quality power for critical operations. Its projects are funded by the energy savings they generate -- saving taxpayer dollars -- and reduce air emissions, extend fuel supplies and enhance indoor environments. For more information, visit the company's Web site at http://www.chevronenergy.com/.

Chevron Energy Solutions

CONTACT: Marisa Spatafore of Foothill-De Anza, +1-650-949-6107, orspataforemarisa@fhda.edu; or Diane Sable of Chevron Energy Solutions,+1-415-733-4629, or diane.sable@chevron.com

Web site: http://www.chevron.com/

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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