Fullerton College Celebrates First-Ever Solar Panel Installation Throughout NOCCCD

Posted on April 29, 2025

Earth Week at Fullerton College recently ended strong with a ribbon cutting ceremony for the installation of new solar panels. A three-year long project, these solar panels are the first of their kind throughout all the North Orange County Community College District (NOCCCD). 

The ceremony included remarks from Interim Director of Sustainability, Tyler Deacy, President Dr. Cynthia Olivo and ForeFront Power, Fullerton College’s partner for this project. NOCCCD Board of Trustee Dr. Barbara Dunsheath was also in attendance along with other Hornet leaders.  

Dr. Olivo shares meaningful gratitude for Fullerton College’s journey to sustainability at the district-level.

“After over a century of being in operation, Fullerton College is moving into the future by implementing innovating solutions that will allow us to reliably produce clean energy, reduce harmful emissions and reinvest energy savings into student success.” said Dr. Olivo. “What better time than during Earth Week to reaffirm our responsibility to the planet and future generations.” 

The project was led by Deacy. When they started in 2021, they developed a campus-wide Sustainability Action Plan determined to test solar energy for the first time. Deacy worked with SPURR, a joint powers authority designed to help public sector institutions reduce utility expenses, to enter a pre-negotiated contract with ForeFront Power. Under a Power Purchasing Agreement, ForeFront developed, constructed and will maintain the project at no cost to NOCCCD. Fullerton College will also pay a below-market rate for electricity for 20 years, combatting electricity rates that can be expected to rise in the next decades. 

Fullerton College’s partner, ForeFront Power, brought out a camera crew to capture a historical moment in time.

“I’d like to personally thank ForeFront Power and CSI Electric for being so accommodating to work on our strict schedule, making sure construction from fence up to fence down happened without impacting parking during the semester.” said Deacy. “It was a herculean effort by the team to make this happen.” 

The solar panels hold a promising future for NOCCCD. In the next phase of this sustainability journey, the Sustainability Action Plan will move to meet the California State Chancellor’s Office’s goal of becoming a net zero district by 2035. 

The solar panels are located in Parking Lot 5. Set to generate 1.8 million kWh of clean, renewable energy each year, the panels hold enough electricity to entirely offset the 800 and 400 buildings. 

Fullerton College’s solar panel project has also set the stage for its sister schools, serving as a template across NOCCCD to align its Anaheim Campus and Cypress College with these state goals.  

Learn more about the Sustainability Action Plan on Fullerton College’s sustainability website.