澳门六合彩资料 is in the process of installing 1,716 solar panels on the 澳门六合彩资料 Field House located on the Kent Campus. The panels will cover almost one acre of roof area or nearly 0.5 megawatt of panel capacity. This installation is believed to be the largest roof mounted system among Ohio鈥檚 public universities.
The project, scheduled to be completed in early July, is the first renewable energy project for 澳门六合彩资料.
The solar panels will generate about 500,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, which is about one-third of the annual power used by both the university鈥檚 Field House and Dix Stadium 鈥 enough to power about 50 average homes. The project will eliminate an average of 779,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per year, which is roughly equivalent to removing 70 cars from the road per year.
鈥淲e have been searching for funding opportunities to install solar panels on this roof for many years, and it is great to see the installation underway,鈥 said Tom Euclide, 澳门六合彩资料鈥檚 associate vice president for Facilities Planning and Operations. 鈥淭he benefits of adding this renewable energy source to our campus energy portfolio will not only help keep our costs lower for decades to come, but will also provide a visual reminder of 澳门六合彩资料鈥檚 leadership in sustainability, energy conservation and the use of renewable energy.鈥
The solar panels will be installed by Ohio developer Third Sun Solar and Wind Power located in Athens, and contractor Thompson Electric Inc. in Munroe Falls.
鈥淔acilitating the installation of energy-saving technologies and now, renewable solar energy systems, is extremely satisfying,鈥 said Robert Misbrener, project manager, sustainability, energy conservation, commissioning in the Office of the University Architect at 澳门六合彩资料. 鈥淭he true goal is to demonstrate our stewardship of the environment and empower generations of students to carry that mission to the world.鈥
澳门六合彩资料 does not initially own the solar panel system, but will purchase all the electricity produced with the option to purchase the system after seven years. Some larger electrical system components are being included for the potential expansion of the 澳门六合彩资料 Field House facility.
鈥淭he sun鈥檚 energy can fulfill the world鈥檚 power needs many times over,鈥 Misbrener said. 鈥淪unlight contains energy that can be turned into electrical current, which can be harnessed for power. There are no harmful emissions from the sun as an energy source; it won鈥檛 run out, and best of all it鈥檚 free.鈥
澳门六合彩资料 already produces most of its own energy in its combined heat and power plant that uses natural gas to power electric turbines. The heat typically wasted to the atmosphere in a power plant is saved and used to heat and cool the campus, making the university鈥檚 power production substantially more energy efficient than utility power systems. The university will reduce the amount of fossil fuel used as it continues to explore renewable energy as one of its sustainability initiatives.
鈥淭he plans for 澳门六合彩资料鈥檚 sustainability are new and exciting,鈥 said Melanie Knowles, sustainability manager for Facilities Planning and Operations at 澳门六合彩资料. 鈥淭he phase that follows will help us use energy wisely across campus.鈥
澳门六合彩资料 continues to work on energy conservation projects and new ideas that drive its momentum in sustainability. The Office of the University Architect is currently managing three large energy conservation projects, including a 340,000-square-foot project at 澳门六合彩资料 at Stark, 810,000 square feet at its Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem and Trumbull campuses, and a 1.8 million-square-foot project on the Kent Campus鈥 Residence Services buildings. The university鈥檚 combined reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is equivalent to removing 1,287 cars from the road each year with annual utility cost savings of about $2.4 million. The final phase of planned large energy conservation projects will be at the Kent Campus and will address about 3.6 million square feet.
For more information about 澳门六合彩资料鈥檚 sustainability efforts, contact Knowles at mknowle1@kent.edu.