Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Iowa State University Finishes Construction of On-Campus Solar Farm

  • By Matt Jones
  • 10/26/23

Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, recently gained a new 1,375-MW solar farm on its campus through a partnership with Alliant Energy, according to a news release. Alliant installed 3,300 solar panels on campus that will generate energy and provide opportunities for education, agriculture research, and more. The facility is set up across 10 acres used for the university’s animal science teaching and research farms.

“The Alliant Energy Solar Farm at Iowa State University represents an innovative public-private partnership that broadens our portfolio of renewable energy used to power the university,” said Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen. “Thanks to our Alliant Energy partners, the solar farm also will serve as a one-of-a-kind agricultural setting for our faculty, staff and students to explore solar energy topics through research, education and extension and outreach.”

The farm is also part of the Alliant Energy Customer-Hosted Renewables program, which generates credits that the university can use to offset a portion of its carbon emissions. The university has also received a $1.8-million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy that will allow university researchers to raise bees and plant fruits and vegetables in the space. Researchers will create and maintain a pollinator habitat to study the impact of energy generation on beekeeping and horticultural production, the news release reports.

“The Alliant Energy Solar Farm at ISU is our company’s first customer-hosted solar project to complete construction in Iowa, as well as the first to incorporate agrivoltaics,” said Mayuri Farlinger, vice president of customer and community engagement at Alliant Energy. “We are proud this solar farm will advance the concept of agrivoltaics—that land can be used for energy production and agriculture, simultaneously. This project advances our mission to deliver the energy solutions our customers and communities can count on in a unique way.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Miami University Approves New $242M Multipurpose Arena

    Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, recently announced that its Board of Trustees has approved construction of a new multipurpose arena at Cook Field, according to university news. The $242-million project will serve as a new centralized hub for student life and create space for economic development on campus.

  • UT System Approves First Funds for New Campus

    The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently approved funds to build the first facility of a new campus in far west Fort Worth, Texas, according to university news. UTA West will serve as a branch of the University of Texas at Arlington and is scheduled to open in fall 2028.

  • Spaces4Learning Trends & Predictions for Educational Facilities in 2026: Part I

    We asked, you answered, and the results are in! Last year, we put out a call for submissions to collect our readership’s opinion on trends and predictions for K–12 and higher education facilities in 2026.

  • Tennessee Middle School Completes Health, Life Safety Renovations

    The Giles County Board of Education in Pulaski, Tenn., recently announced that a series of renovation projects has been completed at Bridgeforth Middle School, according to a news release. The district partnered with Wold Architects & Engineers and Brindley Construction to modernize building systems at one of the district’s oldest schools.