American Museum of Ceramic Art

Pomona, CA

AMOCA promotes pottery as one of the most enduring indicators of culture. It champions the art, history, creation, and technology of ceramics through exhibitions, collections, outreach, and studio programming. AMOCA is housed in a 51,000-square-foot facility with four exhibition galleries, a 12,000-square-foot Ceramic Studio, an education hall, a Museum Store, a resource library, and a 13,000-object permanent collection. AMOCA’s primary activities celebrate ceramic art, artists, and movements through exhibitions, accessible age-appropriate tours, lectures, artist talks, curator presentations, family days, studio classes and workshops, and education and outreach programs.

In 2023 AMOCA launched its first solar project in partnership with renewable energy company ReJoule LLC. AMOCA is acting as a test site for a first-in-the-nation reuse of electric vehicle batteries. 224 modules (over 9,000 lbs of electric vehicle batteries) have entered their second life, turning potential hazardous waste into energy storage for the community. When tests are completed by the end of 2025, this 275 kWh system should consistently provide 24 hours of reserve power.

In 2025, FCI funding will support the second part of the project - adding approximately 100 solar panels to the building’s roof  to reduce energy consumption from the grid. This project intends to bring operations closer to 100 percent renewable energy and save money on energy costs that will be reinvested into public programs. A third phase of the project will launch to reroof and install solar in the final part of the building in 2027–28.

Milestones

• Install 100 solar panels

• Bring museum and studio operation closer to 100 percent renewable energy