Colorado State University today dedicated one of the largest solar plants in the nation at a university \u2013 a two-megawatt operation that will help the state meet goals for renewable energy and keep the university\u2019s utility rates stable and affordable during the next 20 years.<\/p>\n
The solar power plant, owned and operated by Fotowatio Renewable Ventures, features more than 8,000 Trina Solar (NYSE: TSL) panels that cover 15 acres of the university\u2019s Foothills Campus \u2013 about three miles west of the main campus. The panels rotate to track the sun\u2019s movement.<\/p>\n
Each year, Xcel Energy solicits bids for solar installations to meet the solar energy mandates of the Colorado Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard, also known as Amendment 37. Colorado State partnered with Fotowatio Renewable Ventures to submit a bid to Xcel for a two-megawatt installation, which was one of three bids selected by Xcel.<\/p>\n
The project, part of the Xcel Energy Solar*Rewards program, received a rebate to offset construction costs. The project had an estimated economic impact of roughly USD 1.7 million from local labour,subcontractors and materials. The plant will reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere by 2,500 t \u2013 the equivalent of removing more than 480 cars off the road each year. It\u2019s the second solar project to be announced within the Colorado State University System. CSU-Pueblodedicated a new 1.2 MW solar array in 2008.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis CSU solar project delivers on the Colorado promise of the New Energy Economy, which is establishing Colorado as a leader in renewable energy and creating jobs throughout the state,\u201d said Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter. \u201cNot only is CSU researching and developing new clean energy sources, it\u2019s adopting them to power its own operations.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cColorado State University is a leader in developing clean and renewable energy research solutions and has a strong research history in the field of solar energy,\u201d said Tony Frank, president of Colorado State University. \u201cOur students and the community benefit from seeing a real-life application of renewable energy at work. At the same time, we\u2019re saving money during tight fiscal times. This solar plant and our biomass boiler, which opened last fall, together help lower the costs of providing power to our Foothills facilities. Over 20 years, we expect to save the university more than USD 2 million in electric costs from the solar plant alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBy securing clean, reliable solar power through a power purchase agreement rather than major capital investment, Colorado State University will benefit from a renewable energy system that is cost-effective for years to come,\u201d said Jos\u00e9 Benjumea, president of Fotowatio Renewable Ventures. \u201cThis collaborative effort serves as an example of how successful public-private partnerships can help universities and other public institutions make the most of financing, including tax credits and other incentives available for solar energy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Partners in the Colorado State project:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n \t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Colorado State University today dedicated one of the largest solar plants in the nation at a university \u2013 a two-megawatt operation that will help the state meet goals for renewable energy and keep the university\u2019s utility rates stable and affordable during the next 20 years. The solar power plant, owned and operated by Fotowatio Renewable\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,9,4,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10038","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-solar","category-epc","category-press-releases","category-projects"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n