Maryland-based Standard Solar is set to implement a 2.61-MW solar project on the campus of Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.
The move follows the company’s recent acquisition of the Lehigh Valley project from developer EDF Renewables North America.
Once completed, the solar project will fully power the Murray H. Goodman Campus, which houses the majority of the university’s athletic facilities. It is expected to meet 100 percent of the campus electricity demands while offsetting eight percent of the university’s overall grid electricity consumption. Lehigh University aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040.
The project will utilize a single-axis tracker system, which is estimated to produce about 5.22 GWh of clean energy annually. This output is equivalent to powering around 285 houses for a year and offsetting the carbon dioxide emissions produced by burning over 1,250 tons of coal in a year.
“Lehigh University has a bold, comprehensive plan to become a carbon-neutral institution, one driven by University and Lehigh Valley stakeholders,” said Audrey McSain, Sustainability Director at Lehigh University. “This project will play a key role in our strategy, delivering rapid emissions reductions to help meet our ambitious goals.”
Standard Solar has been actively developing its portfolio in the education sector, with over 35 MW of solar projects serving educational institutions, including K-12 schools and higher education establishments.
“We look forward to our ongoing expansion efforts in Pennsylvania and remain fully committed to supporting the state’s journey to becoming a thriving hub for distributed generation and community solar,” said Eric Partyka, Director of Business Development, Standard Solar.
