CU's Solar Power Move: East Campus Array
Colorado is famous for generous levels of sunshine — and CU is looking for ways to harness those rays for more than just vitamin D.
In one of the latest steps by campus leadership to drive down emissions and increase energy efficiency, the university is scheduled to begin construction next summer on the East Campus solar array, a two-acre, ground-based panel system with a $7.8 million price tag. The project will be the largest of CU Boulder’s 16 existing solar arrays, all of which are located on Main Campus buildings.
“We’re aiming to source about 10 percent of our electrical usage from renewables,” said Chris Ewing (EnvDes’96), vice chancellor for infrastructure and sustainability at CU Boulder. “This project will get us up there closer to 4 or 5 percent, halfway to our goal.”
The 1.1 megawatt ground-mounted solar array is projected to offset 1.4 million kilowatt hours annually, amounting to about 1.3% of CU Boulder’s annual electricity usage.
The project supports CU’s Climate Action Plan, which aims to reduce campus emissions 50% by 2030 and completely decarbonize by 2050.
“We’re in the midst of a climate crisis, and we need to do our part to reduce our carbon emissions,” said Ewing. “The other part of the argument is that it makes good business sense. If we invest in solar panels now, that’s 1.1 megawatts of power that we don’t have to worry about month after month. It will pay for itself after 20 years.”
Photo by Glenn Asakawa