Mohawk Valley College to Reduce Energy Costs by Nearly 10% with Newly Completed Solar Farm

Mohawk Valley College to Reduce Energy Costs by Nearly 10% with Newly Completed Solar Farm

Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) has completed construction on a solar farm projected to produce 3.5 million kilowatt hours of energy in its first year of operation.

The 2-megawatt AC or 3 megawatt DC project is net-metered, meaning that any excess energy the farm produces beyond the needs of MVCC will be measured and delivered to the grid so the college can be compensated by its utility company.

The college spends nearly $1 million each year on electricity for its campuses, according to a statement by MVCC President Randall J. VanWagoner in 2015, and the new off-site solar farm is projected to offset those costs by about $90,000 in its first year.

"With an electrical service technology program and solar teaching labs, a nearby solar site will provide even more opportunity for students to learn and train with hands-on experience," according to a report in the Utica Observer-Dispatch when the project was announced.

"Once [students] graduate and go into the field, they need to have studied solar in some way while they were in college," Matthew Snyder, director of marketing and communications for MVCC, told the paper in 2015.

"We are excited about this new venture that is good for our environment, good for our bottom line, and through this partnership, it will benefit our students as well," said VanWagoner, in a prepared statement.

Funding for the project came, in part, from a grant provided by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

The project was designed and built by groSolar and sited on land owned by the Rome Industrial Development Corp.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • stylized illustration of a desktop, laptop, tablet, and smartphone all displaying an orange AI icon

    Report: AI Shifting from Cloud to PCs

    AI is shifting from the cloud to PCs, offering enhanced productivity, security, and ROI. Key players like Intel, Microsoft (Copilot+ PCs), and Google (Gemini Nano) are driving this on-device AI trend, shaping a crucial hybrid future for IT.

  • school building connected by lines to symbols of AI, data charts, and a funding document with a dollar sign

    ED Issues Guidance on the Use of Federal Grant Funds to Support Learner Outcomes with AI

    In response to President Trump's April 23 Executive Order on advancing AI education, the United States Department of Education has issued new guidance on how K-12 and higher education institutions may use federal grant funds "to support improved outcomes for learners through the responsible integration of artificial intelligence."

  • handshake between two individuals with AI icons (brain, chip, network, robot) in the background

    Microsoft, Amazon Announce New Commitments to Support Presidential AI Challenge

    At the Sept. 4 meeting of the White House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence Education, Microsoft and Amazon unveiled new commitments to expanding AI education and skills training.

  • student reading a book with a brain, a protective hand, a computer monitor showing education icons, gears, and leaves

    4 Steps to Responsible AI Implementation

    Researchers at the University of Kansas Center for Innovation, Design & Digital Learning (CIDDL) have published a new framework for the responsible implementation of artificial intelligence at all levels of education.