Lehigh University Welcomes Completion of 3.1-MW Solar on Goodman Campus
Standard Solar has completed a 3.1 MW-DC solar project on Lehigh University’s (Lehigh) Goodman Campus in Pennsylvania, as part of the university’s efforts to achieve net carbon neutrality by 2040.
The project, acquired by Standard Solar after being initially developed by EDF Renewables, was constructed and completed in collaboration with EDF Renewables as the EPC provider. The project’s long-term owner and operator will be Standard Solar.
The system is estimated to generate approximately 5,108 MWh of clean energy each year, supplying more than 100 percent of the Goodman Campus’s electrical power requirements and reducing 8 percent of the university’s total grid electricity consumption.
“This solar installation is a critical step in our Pathway to Zero as outlined in our Climate Action Strategy,” said Joseph J. Helble, Lehigh’s President. “By investing in on-site renewable energy, we are not only reducing emissions but also providing valuable learning opportunities for our students."
The single-axis tracker array near the university’s athletic fields will also offer research and learning opportunities for Lehigh students. Students, faculty and the public will be able to track real-time energy production and analyze the system’s performance through a solar dashboard.
Lehigh University is the sole off-taker of the energy produced through a power purchase agreement with Standard Solar. The installation also includes a specifically landscape surrounding the array, integrating it into the campus environment and preserving the area’s natural beauty.
Other U.S. schools which have or having solar installed on-campus include Grinnell College in Iowa, Catholic University of America, Rutgers University, Bucknell and Johns Hopkins University, among others.
See EnergyTech’s full coverage of campus decarbonization projects.