Add as a preferred source on Google


American University Adds 2,300 Solar Panels

American University is installing more than 2,300 solar panels to build the largest urban solar hot water system on the East Coast.

More than 2,150 photovoltaic panels will be installed at three campus buildings and three off-campus buildings by July to provide electricity and reduce carbon emissions by 557 tons per year. The new panels will increase the university's solar capacity from 27 kW to more than 532 kW, producing about 637 megawatt hours per year.

The system is being installed by Standard Solar and will be owned and operated by Washington Gas Energy Services.

Skyline Innovations will outfit four campus buildings with 174 solar thermal energy panels to provide hot water for showers and a campus dining hall. The solar thermal panels will produce 609 MWH of electricity per year or 5.7 million BTUs per day.

The project is part of AU's plan, announced last spring, to become carbon-neutral by 2020. Other initiatives include:

  • Plans to mitigate travel emissions through carbon offsets;
  • Use of wind power for all purchased electricity;
  • Plans for a wind turbine, designed by an AU professor, to be installed on top of a parking garage; and
  • The installation of a generator that will run on used cooking oil from the campus dining hall.

According to information released by the university, the new solar installations will reduce energy costs as soon as they're installed, thanks in part to federal and local incentives.

The photovoltaic system is financed through a 20-year power purchase agreement with WGES, which owns the system and sells the power it produces to AU. The solar thermal system is funded through a similar 10-year agreement with Skyline Innovations.


About the Author

Joshua Bolkan is contributing editor for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • hooded figure types on a laptop, with abstract manifesto-like posters taped to the wall behind them

    Hacktivism Is a Growing Threat to Higher Education

    In recent years, colleges and universities have faced an evolving array of cybersecurity challenges. But one threat is showing signs of becoming both more frequent and more politically charged: hacktivism.

  • Hand holding a stylus over a tablet with futuristic risk management icons

    Why Universities Are Ransomware's Easy Target: Lessons from the 23% Surge

    Academic environments face heightened risk because their collaboration-driven environments are inherently open, making them more susceptible to attack, while the high-value research data they hold makes them an especially attractive target. The question is not if this data will be targeted, but whether universities can defend it swiftly enough against increasingly AI-powered threats.

  • digital book with circuit patterns

    Turnitin and ACUE Partner on AI Training for Educators

    Turnitin is teaming up with the Association of College and University Educators to create a series of courses on AI and academic integrity designed to help faculty navigate the responsible use of AI in learning and assessment.

  • student with headphones engaged in virtual learning

    Virtual Learning that Works: 4 Ways to Build Real Engagement

    As colleges and universities expand online offerings, the goal now is clear: Build environments where students actively participate, not passively attend.