East LA College 'Flips Switch' on Solar Electric System

As part of its Earth Day celebrations last week, East Los Angeles College began running a new 1.2 megawatt solar electric generating system at the school's Monterey Park campus.

The solar electric generating system, designed and built by Chevron Energy Solutions, consists of about 6,000 Kyocera KC200 solar panels. It was made possible through a power purchase agreement with MMA Renewable Ventures, a power solutions provider that owns, maintains and operates the system. The college agrees to purchase electricity at agreed-upon rates for the term of the power purchase agreement.

"The event we celebrated today demonstrates the viability of solar energy and the practicality of the industry's latest solar-energy financing tool," said Tom Dyer, VP of marketing and government affairs at Kyocera. "Power purchase agreements like the one [East Los Angeles College] has chosen promise to make solar electricity an indispensable contributor to California's energy mix."

The Los Angeles Community College District educates 188,000 students each year. According a statement by Kyocera, the district currently is undertaking the largest public sector sustainable building effort in the United States.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • semi-transparent AI brain with circuit elements under a microscope

    Anthropic Develops AI 'Microscope' to Reveal the Hidden Mechanics of LLM Thought

    Anthropic has unveiled new research tools designed to provide a rare glimpse into the hidden reasoning processes of advanced language models — like a "microscope" for AI.

  • modern college building with circuit and brain motifs

    Anthropic Launches Claude for Education

    Anthropic has announced a version of its Claude AI assistant tailored for higher education institutions. Claude for Education "gives academic institutions secure, reliable AI access for their entire community," the company said, to enable colleges and universities to develop and implement AI-enabled approaches across teaching, learning, and administration.

  • abstract AI pattern

    Meta Forms 'Superintelligence Group' to Pursue Artificial General Intelligence

    Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is assembling a new team focused on achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI), amid internal dissatisfaction with the performance of its current AI offerings. The team, known internally as the superintelligence group, is part of a broader effort to enhance Meta’s AI capabilities.

  • The AI Show

    Register for Free to Attend the World's Greatest Show for All Things AI in EDU

    The AI Show @ ASU+GSV, held April 5–7, 2025, at the San Diego Convention Center, is a free event designed to help educators, students, and parents navigate AI's role in education. Featuring hands-on workshops, AI-powered networking, live demos from 125+ EdTech exhibitors, and keynote speakers like Colin Kaepernick and Stevie Van Zandt, the event offers practical insights into AI-driven teaching, learning, and career opportunities. Attendees will gain actionable strategies to integrate AI into classrooms while exploring innovations that promote equity, accessibility, and student success.