Macalester College Goes 100 Percent Solar And Saves Millions Of Dollars

  • 04/27/15

Macalester CollegeBELMONT, CA — SunEdison, Inc., the world's largest renewable energy development company, has announced that it has signed an agreement with Macalester College in Saint Paul, MN, to offset 100 percent of the college’s electricity use with solar energy. Macalester College will save millions of dollars on electricity costs over the 25-year agreement by purchasing a share of output from SunEdison's community solar gardens.

The SunEdison community solar gardens program enables customers to receive a share of electricity output from a locally sited community solar system. Each month, the customer receives credits on their electricity bill — up to 120 percent of their electricity usage. At the end of the year, the customer will receive payment from the utility for any excess credits that have not been used.

“We're excited to be working with Macalester College, one of the first colleges to participate in SunEdison's community solar gardens program,” says Sam Youneszadeh, managing director of Distributed Generation Western USA at SunEdison. “Our solar garden program allows customers to enjoy the benefits of solar even when they are unable to install solar systems on their property. We expect to see more schools, colleges and universities follow Macalester College’s lead and take advantage of the solar gardens program in the near future.”

“We are happy to partner with SunEdison and participate in the community solar gardens program,” says Macalester College vice president for Finance and Administration David Wheaton. “Macalester has a long history of commitment to environmental and energy initiatives. This agreement furthers our campus sustainability goals and is a financially responsible initiative for Macalester. Given our projected consumption patterns and the expected rising trend in electricity rates over the period of the agreement, we believe that the savings over the term of the agreement could be in the millions of dollars. Those savings will begin as soon as the solar gardens are operational and will benefit both current and future students.”

SunEdison plans to begin construction of the community solar gardens in 2015 and begin commercial operation in 2016. This project is on the Call Right Projects List for TerraForm Power, Inc., a global owner and operator of clean-energy power plants. SunEdison anticipates offering this project to TerraForm Power for investment upon completion. Operation and maintenance of the solar power plants will be performed by SunEdison Services, which provides global 24/7 asset management, monitoring and reporting services.

About SunEdison
SunEdison is the world’s largest renewable energy development company and is transforming the way energy is generated, distributed and owned around the globe. The company manufactures solar technology and develops, finances, installs, owns and operates wind and solar power plants, delivering predictably priced electricity to its residential, commercial, government and utility customers. SunEdison provides asset management, operations and maintenance, monitoring and reporting services for its renewable energy customers around the world. Corporate headquarters are in the U.S., with additional offices around the world. To learn more, visit www.sunedison.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements, including: we believe that the savings over the term of the agreement could be in the millions of dollars; SunEdison plans to begin construction of the community solar gardens in 2015 and begin commercial operation in 2016 and SunEdison anticipates offering this project to TerraForm Power for investment upon completion. Such statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include changes in applicable regulatory requirements and incentives for production of solar power; and general business and economic conditions, including seasonality of the industry, and other risks described in SunEdison's filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements represent SunEdison's judgment as of the date of this press release. SunEdison disclaim, however, any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Featured

  • University of Kentucky Integrates New Cleaning Technology

    The University of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky., recently installed a new cleaning system designed to improve cooling efficiency on campus, according to a news release. The Facilities Management’s Utilities and Energy Management Unit installed new chiller tubes into two of the chillers at the university’s Central Utility Plant.

  • Agualta STEAM Engine

    Outdoor Learning Spaces and Biophilic Design Create Community in East Los Angeles

    Griffith STEAM Magnet Middle School's Agualta STEAM Engine blends education, community, and nature through its adaptable design.

  • Key Considerations for Office-to-Higher-Education Facility Conversions

    Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, office-to-alternative-use conversions have become a recurring subject of urban development discourse. Office utilization rates across major U.S. cities remain below 50%, with vacancy rates exceeding 27% in San Francisco and 16% in New York. Higher education facilities present programmatic and spatial use cases that align readily with the typical characteristics of commercial office buildings.

  • Singlewire Software Report Reveals Gaps in K–12 School Entrance Security

    Single Software recently released its first-ever School Entrance Security Report based on more than 500 responses from U.S. school staff members. According to a news release, the findings highlight a gap between K–12 leaders’ wishes for school safety and how safe the schools actually are, as well as the challenges facing students and staff in that goal.

Digital Edition