2 MW Solar Plant To Save Energy and Dollars at Cornell -- Campus Technology

Green

2 MW Solar Plant To Save Energy and Dollars at Cornell

By Rhea Kelly
03/20/14

The energy business arm of facilities services company ABM is installing a 2 megawatt solar array on Cornell University's Ithaca, NY, campus. The 6,500-plus-panel "Lansing" array will provide the university with fixed, low-cost energy rates over the life of the 30-year agreement, allowing Cornell to save money as utility costs are expected to rise in the coming years.

The system is expected to generate just over 2.2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and save more than 730 metric tons of CO2 per year on average. Additionally, a section of the plant will be designated for academic use, allowing students to manipulate 10 solar panels and to access a Web-based dashboard with monitoring software for the array. The university plans to make real-time energy use data publicly available on the Web.

ABM will provide Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) and Operations & Maintenance (O&M) services; ABM joint venture partner Building Energy will finance and own the solar power plant in partnership with Distributed Sun, the company that developed the project for Cornell.

"We are pleased to partner with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, Distributed Sun and ABM to launch Cornell's first large solar project," said Kyujung Whang, Cornell vice president for facilities services, in a press release. "This facility represents a significant step to advance Cornell's clean energy portfolio. The Lansing solar facility aligns with carbon reduction goals of Cornell, Tompkins County and New York State."

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

E-Mail this page

Printable Format

Featured

University of Illinois System Sets Sights on Community College Transfers with One Million Degrees Partnership

In a multiyear pilot program, the University of Illinois System is working with nonprofit One Million Degrees to bridge the community college transfer gap and improve student outcomes.
Meta Forms 'Superintelligence Group' to Pursue Artificial General Intelligence

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is assembling a new team focused on achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI), amid internal dissatisfaction with the performance of its current AI offerings. The team, known internally as the superintelligence group, is part of a broader effort to enhance Meta’s AI capabilities.
New Anthropic AI Models Demonstrate Coding Prowess, Behavior Risks

Anthropic has released Claude Opus 4 and Claude Sonnet 4, its most advanced artificial intelligence models to date, boasting a significant leap in autonomous coding capabilities while simultaneously revealing troubling tendencies toward self-preservation that include attempted blackmail.
Researchers Develop AI-Powered Method for Business Process Redesign

Researchers have developed a novel AI-powered approach that enables non-technical users to modify complex process models through simple conversations with chatbots.