Old Dominion University Inks Solar Energy Installation Partnership
Old Dominion University (ODU) has entered a partnership to install 600 solar panels on the roof of the university's student recreation center at the heart of its Norfolk, VA, campus.
The installation is expected to generate 132 kilowatts of energy for the grid and comes as the first step in a 30-megawatt solar project by Dominion Virginia Power, which will place company-owned solar facilities on leased rooftops or on the grounds of commercial businesses and public properties throughout the its Virginia service area, according to a release.
The 30-megawatt project is eventually expected to provide energy to approximately 7,500 homes, according to the release, and Old Dominion's 132-kilowatt installation will provide enough energy to power approximately 35 homes.
The power company's Solar Partnership Program was approved by the Virginia State Corporation Commission in November and this first installation atop the ODU student recreation center is expected to be completed late this summer.
"When the program was announced last year, it was readily apparent that Old Dominion University was a perfect fit for this innovative project," said ODU President John R. Broderick, in a prepared statement. "Our Student Recreation Center is one of the main hubs of activity on our campus and our university, as a whole, is a hub of alternative energy research. This installation is yet another example of ODU's leadership in the development of solar installations and ground-breaking solar energy research."
Old Dominion University was founded as the Norfolk Division of The College of William and Mary in 1930 and became an independent institution in 1962, gaining University status in 1969. Today, the college offers 66 bachelor's degrees, 56 master's degrees, 41 doctoral degrees, and two educational specialist degrees to more than 24,000 students, annually.
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Kevin Hudson is a freelance journalist based in Portland, Oregon. He can be reached at [email protected].