Universities Powering Ahead With Solar

Universities across the world are turning to solar energy to help power their campuses – two more recently completed projects include PV for Cal Poly in the USA and University of Cambridge in the UK.

California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly)

Cal Poly last week officially inaugurated a 4.5MW (AC) solar energy project that will generate more than 11 million kilowatt-hours per year, enough to supply around a quarter Cal Poly’s total electricity needs. 16,000 solar panels have been installed across an 18.5 acre site, which will track the sun throughout the day through the use of single axis tracking technology.

Cal Poly wasn’t required to stump up any cash for construction of the facility thanks to a solar PPA (power purchase agreement) arrangement with the USA’s REC Solar, not to be confused with Norway-headquartered panel manufacturer REC Solar.

The arrangement is expected to provide direct savings of about USD $10 million on Cal Poly’s electricity bills over the 20-year agreement.

“This is a huge step toward our goal of climate neutrality, and we are very excited about using this new facility to support students’ hands-on learning,” said Cal Poly director of energy, utilities and sustainability Dennis Elliot.

Another aspect of the project will be research relating to vegetation management practices for utility scale solar farms, which will see Cal Poly’s Animal Science program’s sheep grazing the site.

University Of Cambridge Solar Project

In the UK, close to 1,500 panels have been installed on buildings at the North West Cambridge Development, the University of Cambridge’s new 150-hectare district just outside of the city that will provide homes and accommodation for university and college staff and graduates, academic and research space and other facilities.

The 373kW array, installed by G&H Sustainability, will generate more than 298,000kWh a year.

University of Cambridge has set a goal of reducing carbon emissions associated with energy use by 34% by 2020 against a 2005 baseline, and has a long-term ambition of carbon neutrality from energy use by 2050.

The University, which consumes around 200 million kWh of electricity every year, already generates some energy onsite from solar panels, biomass and ground source heat pumps; but acknowledges renewable energy is still in its infancy across the University estate.

Australian Universities And Solar

Here in Australia, universities have been increasingly embracing solar power. Earlier this month we reported UNSW had inked an agreement that will see it sourcing 100% of its electricity from solar panels; with the bulk of supply to come from Sunraysia Solar Farm. Other Australian universities leveraging the power of PV include Monash, Charles Sturt, University of Southern Queensland and University of Queensland.