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Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

L.A. Valley College Honors Chevron for Campus Work

Thanks to the help of Chevron Energy Solutions, Los Angeles Valley College has gone green and plans to go even greener in the near future. To show its appreciation for the contributions of Chevron, which has donated $10,000 to the school’s foundation, Los Angeles Valley College honored the company at its Nov. 1 President’s Gala, held at the Warner Center Marriott in Woodland Hills. During the past five years, Chevron has helped morph LAVC’s campus into one that features buildings with comprehensive energy efficiency improvements. In particular, the college’s central plant and utility infrastructure have been retrofitted and upgraded to reduce demand for electricity, and the college expects that a new roof-top solar installation will allow it to generate renewable power on site. Moreover, all new and existing buildings will meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. In fact, LAVC’s Maintenance and Operations Facility and Sheriff’s Station was the first LEED-certified building in the Los Angeles Community College District. “The program is all about using energy wisely reducing and using energy to modernize the campus” said Chevron Energy Solutions President Jim Davis. Valley College doesn’t aim simply to change the way buildings are constructed on campus, however. The school also aims to change its curriculum so that green issues are better reflected, according to LAVC President Tyree Wieder. To this end, the school is exploring adding courses that address sustainability issues and expanding its chemistry program. The ultimate goal is to lead students on the path of energy-related fields. During the gala, two students,Silvia Jimenez and Ernest Grimes,were honored for receiving scholarships of $32,000 and $18,000, respectively, by LAVC’s Earth Science and Anthropology Department last spring for their commitment to environmental awareness. To demonstrate how seriously it takes environmental issues, during the event, the college distributed event programs printed on recycled paper and a gift basket featuring environmentally-conscious film “An Inconvenient Truth,” as well as energy-efficient light bulbs and environmentally friendly products. Highlights of agenda The new three-story Allied Health and Sciences Center has energy-efficient heating, cooling and lighting, as well as photovoltaic panels for energy generation and a storm water retention pond in the landscaping. The building is scheduled for completion in summer 2008. The new Robert M. Hertzberg Library and Academic Resource Center (starting in February 2009), a Child Development Center and a Student Services Center (starting in June 2008) and addition to the Motion Picture Building (starting in Jan. 2008) will all be LEED-certified. Existing on-campus facilities will be renovated. The Art, Engineering, Music, Math/Science, Humanities, Chemistry, Life Sciences, Theater Arts and Planetarium Buildings will be upgraded to reduce the impact on the environment and allow for longer lasting, energy efficient buildings. Photovoltaic panels will be mounted on the roofs of the North Gym and South Gym. New furniture will be made of recycled and recyclable materials. A heat tube thermal system, to be housed on the Campus Center roof, will allow LAVC to generate hot water heated by the sun. It will save $200,000 in its first year and reduce electric energy costs by 17 percent. The college’s 350-ton absorption chiller uses environmentally benign water as a natural refrigerant for heating and cooling. Parking Lot A will incorporate a bioswale that redirects runoff and storm water, traps sediments, naturally removes other impurities and allows the filtered water to seep into the soil or flow directly into the ocean.

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