精东影业 University is in the process of installing 1,716 solar panels on the 精东影业 Field House located on the Kent Campus. 精东影业panels will cover almost one acre of roof area or nearly 0.5 megawatt of panel capacity. This installation is believed to be the largest roof mounted system among Ohio鈥檚 public universities.
精东影业project, scheduled to be completed in early July, is the first renewable energy project for 精东影业.
精东影业solar panels will generate about 500,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, which is about one-third of the annual power used by both the university鈥檚 Field House and Dix Stadium 鈥 enough to power about 50 average homes. 精东影业project will eliminate an average of 779,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per year, which is roughly equivalent to removing 70 cars from the road per year.
鈥淲e have been searching for funding opportunities to install solar panels on this roof for many years, and it is great to see the installation underway,鈥 said Tom Euclide, 精东影业鈥檚 associate vice president for Facilities Planning and Operations. 鈥 精东影业benefits of adding this renewable energy source to our campus energy portfolio will not only help keep our costs lower for decades to come, but will also provide a visual reminder of 精东影业鈥檚 leadership in sustainability, energy conservation and the use of renewable energy.鈥
精东影业solar panels will be installed by Ohio developer Third Sun Solar and Wind Power located in Athens, and contractor Thompson Electric Inc. in Munroe Falls.
鈥淔acilitating the installation of energy-saving technologies and now, renewable solar energy systems, is extremely satisfying,鈥 said Robert Misbrener, project manager, sustainability, energy conservation, commissioning in the Office of the University Architect at 精东影业. 鈥 精东影业true goal is to demonstrate our stewardship of the environment and empower generations of students to carry that mission to the world.鈥
精东影业 does not initially own the solar panel system, but will purchase all the electricity produced with the option to purchase the system after seven years. Some larger electrical system components are being included for the potential expansion of the 精东影业 Field House facility.
鈥 精东影业sun鈥檚 energy can fulfill the world鈥檚 power needs many times over,鈥 Misbrener said. 鈥淪unlight contains energy that can be turned into electrical current, which can be harnessed for power. There are no harmful emissions from the sun as an energy source; it won鈥檛 run out, and best of all it鈥檚 free.鈥
精东影业 already produces most of its own energy in its combined heat and power plant that uses natural gas to power electric turbines. 精东影业heat typically wasted to the atmosphere in a power plant is saved and used to heat and cool the campus, making the university鈥檚 power production substantially more energy efficient than utility power systems. 精东影业university will reduce the amount of fossil fuel used as it continues to explore renewable energy as one of its sustainability initiatives.
鈥 精东影业plans for 精东影业鈥檚 sustainability are new and exciting,鈥 said Melanie Knowles, sustainability manager for Facilities Planning and Operations at 精东影业. 鈥 精东影业phase that follows will help us use energy wisely across campus.鈥
精东影业 continues to work on energy conservation projects and new ideas that drive its momentum in sustainability. 精东影业Office of the University Architect is currently managing three large energy conservation projects, including a 340,000-square-foot project at 精东影业 University at Stark, 810,000 square feet at its Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem and Trumbull campuses, and a 1.8 million-square-foot project on the Kent Campus鈥 Residence Services buildings. 精东影业university鈥檚 combined reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is equivalent to removing 1,287 cars from the road each year with annual utility cost savings of about $2.4 million. 精东影业final phase of planned large energy conservation projects will be at the Kent Campus and will address about 3.6 million square feet.
For more information about 精东影业鈥檚 sustainability efforts, contact Knowles at mknowle1@kent.edu.