Bakersfield College, in an on-going effort to become more green, will be building a solar panel field.

Approved by the board of trustees in December 2009, the panels will be constructed over the northeast parking lot located on the corner of Panorama and Mt.Vernon Avenues.

According to Amber Chiang, director of Media Relations at BC, the field will generate up to one-third of the school’s power once constructed while placing any unused power back into Bakersfield’s power grid.

Through a series of rebates and incentives, the $8.3 million project will be budget neutral, according to Chiang. ?

The project will lock in the school’s power rate, as of the end of the semester, solidifying the school’s power costs for the next 20 years. Chiang went on to say that the panels will generate the equivalent electric usage of 293 homes per year by taking advantage of the abundant sunlight in the area.?The field will be one of the few of its type located on a college campus.

Chiang said the panels will articulate, following the movement of the sun, to maximize efficiency.?

Several students and faculty are anticipating the project, such as geology professor Natalie Bursztyn. “I think that this project is a really amazing step forward for the college,” she said.

Aside from generating energy, the solar panels also have other purposes. They will work as covered parking for the northeast parking lot providing protection for cars.

Construction will begin after commencement in May.