Skidmore College Taps Solar Power for 11 Percent of Energy Needs
Skidmore College, in Saratoga Springs, NY, has completed a 2,085-kilowatt solar installation designed to provide 11 percent of the institution's energy needs.
Comprising 6,950 panels on eight acres, the project will generate 2.6 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually throughout the course of Skidmore's 20-year power purchase agreement "and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking 412 cars off the road each year," according to a news release.
Funding for the project, which was developed and managed by Dynamic Energy, was provided in part by a grant from New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's (NYSERDA) NY-Sun Competitive PV program.
Through an initiative dubbed Sustainable Skidmore, the college has launched several other green initiatives employing a variety of techniques, including geothermal heating and cooling, use of occupancy sensors, food waste reduction, land management programs and more.
"This installation responds to the pressing need for environmentally responsible, cost-effective energy for our campus operations, and it exemplifies our strategic commitment to sustainability," said Philip A. Glotzbach, president of Skidmore College, in a prepared statement. "We are grateful for the support provided by Governor Cuomo's NY-Sun Initiative, without which this project would not have been possible."
For more information about sustainability efforts at Skidmore, visit skidmore.edu/sustainability.
About the Author
Joshua Bolkan is contributing editor for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe. He can be reached at [email protected].