Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Colorado State Signs for Solar Installation

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 11/05/20

Colorado State University recently took action that will move the Fort Collins institution closer to its goal of shifting all of its energy needs to renewable electricity by 2030. The school signed a deal with Namasté Solar and Solaris Energy for a 10 megawatt solar system.

Namasté will develop, design and construct solar arrays at up to 30 sites, including rooftops, carports and ground mounts, at the university's campuses and provide long-term operations and maintenance. Solaris will set up the financing and then own and manage the systems as a part of its larger asset portfolio. Colorado State will retain ownership of renewable energy credits attributed to the new systems.

"CSU is a leader in many aspects of sustainability and we are always proud of that," said Carol Dollard, a utility engineer at the school, in a university article. "Sustainability in operations is actually the area where we have the most room for improvement and this project helps us close that gap. More solar installations will continue to advance carbon reductions and help us on the path to 100-percent renewable electricity."

Dollard said that CSU campuses currently consumed 170 million kilowatt hours. Current solar installations generated about 10 million kWh. That means reaching the goal will probably require other forms of renewable energy too, such as wind.

Construction and installation of the latest project are expected to begin in the first half of 2021 with project completion set for late 2022.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Chartwells Launches Campus Dining Evaluation Framework

    Contract food-service management provider Chartwells Higher Education recently announced the launch of BLUEPRINT, according to a news release. The evaluation framework was designed to provide a data-driven and customizable roadmap towards optimizing campus dining services and, by extension, the student experience.

  • Surging Demand for Student Housing Fuels Major Campus Investment Opportunities

    University leaders throughout the U.S. are accelerating plans to modernize and expand student housing as enrollment stabilizes and demand for on-campus living rebounds. Recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that total postsecondary enrollment is projected to grow through the end of the decade, with undergraduate enrollment alone expected to increase by more than 8 percent by 2030.

  • Rhode Island Boarding School Completes Student Dorm Renovations

    St. George’s School in Middletown, R.I., recently announced the completion of a $26-million renovation project on Arden-Diman-Eccles Dormitory, according to a news release. The school partnered with Voith & Mactavish Architects (VMA) on the new space, which places a new focus on collaborative community spaces open to both boarding students and day students.

  • Image courtesy of Kahler Slater

    UW–Madison Announces Completion of Morgridge Hall

    The University of Wisconsin–Madison recently announced that construction is complete on Morgridge Hall, a new academic building, according to a news release. The facility opened September 3 at the start of the fall semester, consolidating the School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences into a single facility for the first time.