Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

New Mexico State University Solar Project Begins Construction

  • By Matt Jones
  • 02/18/21

Construction of a new solar project at New Mexico State University began this week. The university has partnered with El Paso Electric (EPE) on the initiative that they call Aggie Power, which should be sufficient to power about one-third of the 900-acre NMSU campus in Las Cruces. They expect to complete the construction by this fall, and the project has been in the works since 2018. The goal of the partnership is to move forward on “mutual goals related to state renewable energy, climate action, and micro-grid development.”

Aggie Power is intended to not only provide the university with a source of renewable energy, but also to act as a “living laboratory” that offers training and research initiatives for electrical engineering faculty and students. Another benefit is that it will give the university a power boost between noon and early evening, when the demand for power is greatest.

New Mexico State University solar project construction
Source: New Mexico State University

“If we can receive solar power at that optimal time,” said Pat Chavez, director of Utilities and Plant Operations, “it means Aggie Power will allow NMSU to lower the need for energy during the time in which energy costs are at their highest and rely less on power from conventional, natural-gas-powered energy.”

Construction is taking place across 29 acres of the university-owned Arrowhead Park. The terms of the partnership dictate that EPE will own, run, maintain, and take ultimate responsibility for the process. The three-megawatt solar photovoltaic project also includes single-access tracking solar panels and a single-megawatt battery pack from Tesla.

When finished, Aggie Power will be the largest of three renewable-energy sources on campus. Chavez expects the project to provide the university with more flexibility regarding energy sources and managing utility rates.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Children walking along bright school corridor with motion blur

    How Next-Gen Design Is Reshaping the Student Experience

    The environments where students learn play a crucial role in shaping their growth in and out of the classroom. By centering design on well-being, flexibility, and purpose, districts can ensure their facilities remain vibrant community assets for many years to come.

  • USC Launches Major AI Initiative After $200M Gift

    The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Calif., recently announced that it has launched a “transformational” new AI initiative thanks to a $200M gift, according to a news release. The project will leverage AI toward breakthroughs and innovations in subjects like the health sciences, business, security, and the arts.

  • 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.

  • FGCU Breaks Ground on New Health Sciences Building

    Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) has launched construction on a major new academic facility that leaders say will reshape healthcare education in Southwest Florida for decades to come, according to university news.