With more than 40 colleges and universities in the United States now using 100% renewable energy sources, and hundreds more committed to becoming climate neutral in the future, educational institutions are leading the charge for cleaner energy consumption.

Here, we shine a light on some of the most impressive solar energy projects on (and off) US college and university campuses.

1) Arizona State University

Back in 2019, the ASU Sun Devils reached their goal of zero greenhouse gas emissions six years ahead of schedule. They achieved this, in part, thanks to 90 solar installations deployed across four campuses.

The Sun Devils draw power from various on-site solar systems, including:

Photovoltaic solar panels
Solar collectors
Solar shaded parking spaces
Solar shaded stadium seats

Collectively, these solar systems generate 24.1 megawatts (MW) of electricity and provide 50% of ASU’s peak daytime electricity requirement. This helps the university avoid CO2 emissions equivalent to 4,804 passenger vehicles per year.

In partnership with Arizona Public Service utility company, ASU maintains off-site solar installations that generate an additional 28.8 MW of solar capacity.

ASU also runs its own Innovation Accelerator, LightWorks. By researching and implementing solar energy technologies, ASU LightWorks has an ambitious goal of becoming the light innovation capital of the world.

2) Stanford University

With both on-site and off-site solar installations, Stanford has achieved 82% solar-powered electricity and plans to reach 100% renewable energy consumption by the end of 2022.

On-site, Stanford has photovoltaic panels installed across 16 locations. They generate 4.9 MW of clean energy.

The university has one fully operational solar farm off-site and is currently developing a second. Once this project is complete, Stanford’s off-site installations will have a combined capacity of 130MW—more than enough to meet the university’s energy needs.

Rather than drawing energy directly from off-site installations, Stanford’s solar farms inject clean energy into California’s electricity grid. The university then withdraws grid electricity equivalent to the output of the solar farm.

With 225 faculty and staff engaged in energy-related research year-round, Stanford is committed to bringing more clean energy innovations to fruition.

3) Rutgers

Rutgers’ 32-acre solar car parking canopy is one of the largest on a US campus. It generates 8.8 MW of electricity and powers 60% of the Rutgers Livingston campus’ electricity needs. By reducing its electricity bill and selling Solar Renewable Energy Credits(SRECs), the university estimates that the solar canopy will save Rutgers $28 million over 20 years.

An additional 10% of the Campus’s energy comes from a 7,993-panel solar farm. This seven-acre farm produces 1.4 MW of solar power and reduces the university’s CO2 emissions by 1,300 tons per year.

These installations will help Rutgers meet its goals of zero carbon emissions from purchased electricity by 2030.

4) University of Arizona

With an enviable 286 sunny days per year, the University of Arizona (UA) in Tucson has been making good use of its most abundant natural resource.

In partnership with Tucson Electric Power (TEP) company, UA manages a Solar Zone at its research Tech Park. The Solar Zone serves as an innovation hub for testing, evaluating, and demonstrating solar energy technologies—it also generates 25 MW of electricity.

AU’s most impressive on-site solar installation is an agrivoltaic project on an LEED Platinum-certified building rooftop. The project combines 288 solar panels with agriculture production and provides 15% of the building’s electricity.

Researchers cultivate a garden under the shade of the rooftop canopy. As the plants open their pores to absorb CO2, they release water which then evaporates, cooling down the solar panels. This makes the solar panel system more efficient and helps the plants avoid excessive sun exposure.

Check out this video of the ENR2 rooftop installation.

5) University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

The University of Minnesota (UM) has a goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. By investing in solar infrastructure, the UM Twin Cities campus has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 50% over the last 13 years.

UM Twin Cities is a far cry from sunbelt universities like ASU, but it’s able to power 60% of its energy needs with nine on-campus solar gardens. On-site solar installations include 510 rooftop-mounted modules, 630 carport modules, and a ground-mounted solar field of 864 modules.

As part of its commitment to a sustainable future, UM has pledged to withdraw all of its fossil fuel-related investments within 5-7 years.

In addition, UM is home to a Solar Energy Laboratory that specializes in applied research of solar fuels, thermal storage, solar heating, and advanced heat exchangers.

6) Butte College

In 2011, Butte College in California became the first grid-positive college in the United States, producing more energy than it consumed.

Between 2005 and 2011, Butte installed 25,000 solar panels which now produce 4.55 MW of electricity—enough to cover the entire college’s electricity needs. These panels are mounted on rooftops, on the ground, on top of parking areas, and over covered walkways.

Thanks to solar electricity, Butte anticipates a yearly reduction of 6.9 million pounds of CO2 emissions, 27,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide, and 20,000 pounds of nitrogen oxide. It also anticipates savings of $100 million over a 30-year period.

7) Hobart and William Smith

In 2020, Environment America ranked Hobart and William Smith (HWS) as the No. 2 higher education institute for renewable energy.

Situated in upstate New York, the colleges have reduced their carbon footprint by more than 6,000 metric tons since 2007, and have been using carbon-free electricity since 2011. HWS became energy positive in 2019 and draws 125% of its power needs from renewable energy sources.

Fifty percent of the colleges’ power comes from two nearby solar farms which consist of 16,000 solar panels across 10 acres of land. With an output of 5 MW, it is one of the largest solar installations at a higher education institute in New York. To date, the solar farms have generated 26 GWh of clean energy.

The remaining 50% of the colleges’ electricity needs are met with wind energy and hydropower.

8) University of Hawai’i - Maui

The University of Hawai’i (UH) has pledged to achieve net-zero energy consumption across its 10 campuses by 2035.

This past year, UH Maui reached the goal ahead of schedule. It has reduced fossil fuel consumption by 100% and now draws 100% of its energy from on-campus solar photovoltaic systems and battery storage.

The campus has more than 3,300 photovoltaic modules installed on ground mount systems, carport shade structures, and rooftops. The solar panel systems have a combined capacity of 2.85 MW of power. UH Maui also has 13.93 MWh of on-site battery storage capacity.

In 2020, the solar system produced more than 3000 MW of solar energy. This helped UH Maui save roughly 4,400 barrels of oil, dramatically reducing the campus’s greenhouse gas emissions.

9) Princeton

Princeton has a stated goal of reaching net carbon neutrality by 2046 without the purchase of carbon offsets of any kind.

With the help of on-campus solar installations, the university has already reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 11% since 2008.

Princeton first installed solar panels in 2012 and is in the process of adding eight new solar arrays over parking areas, fields, and rooftops. Panels installed in the solar field will have the ability to collect energy on both sides of the cell, increasing efficiency over existing installed capacity.

Once complete, the total number of PV solar panels will increase from 16,528 to 43,852, boosting the university’s solar consumption from 5% to 19% of total electricity use.

10) University at Buffalo

The University at Buffalo (UB) generates more than 400,000 kWh of solar energy from two on-site solar installations. UB has reduced its carbon footprint by 35% and has already achieved 100% renewable energy consumption.

The UB campus features a Solar Strand Walkway (pictured below) designed by renowned landscape architect Walter Hood. It has 3,200 panels and powers hundreds of student apartments. This helps UB avoid 400 tons of harmful greenhouse gas emissions every year.

To further reduce emissions, UB has a 25-year agreement with BQ Energy under which it is the sole recipient of solar power from a nearby solar farm.

Excess clean energy from UB’s on-site and off-site solar installations will be used to help the surrounding community increase its green energy consumption.

A Brighter, cleaner future

As the need to address climate change becomes more pressing, public, private, and social support for clean energy is rising.

With support from their student and faculty bodies, universities across the country are providing a shining example of how an investment in solar energy today can contribute to a cleaner, more cost-efficient, climate-friendly future.

Want to learn more about solar energy for businesses and residences? Visit Inxeption Energy today.