Rutgers Breaks Ground for Biggest College Solar Farm in U.S.
New Jersey’s Rutgers University recently broke ground for a seven-acre solar energy farm on campus. Once completed, the installation would be the largest solar energy facility on any college in the U.S. (although Rutgers has competition there: Florida’s Gulf Coast University is eyeing a larger, 16-acre solar farm).
The solar farm is expected to generate 1.4 megawatts of electricity, enough to meet about 10 percent of Rutgers’ Livingston Campus (located in Piscataway) energy demands. By replacing “regular” electricity with solar power, the university also expects to reduce its annual carbon dioxide emissions by 1,200-plus tons.
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“We believe this project will serve as a model that other institutions can emulate,” said Rutgers president Richard L. McCormick.
Planned in partnership with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU), the Rutgers solar facility is being built by SunDurance Energy of South Plainfield, New Jersey. The installation will allow Rutgers to receive rebates for using renewable energy, and to sell BPU Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs) to electricity providers as a source of revenue.
The solar energy farm should save Rutgers $200,000 in its first year of operation, with annual savings going up to $300,000 over 15 years, according to the university.
Rutgers is also spearheading a variety of other environmental efforts, including a ceiling tile recycling program, lighting and pipe replacements for improved efficiency and other waste prevention and recycling programs. Last April, the university collected more than 2.7 million pounds of recyclable materials, earning RecycleMania 2008’s “Gorilla Prize.
[...] I checked most of the other big green blogs, and found nary a mention in any posts. There was one passing mention of it on Ecolocalizer, but it was far from the focus of the [...]