Add as a preferred source on Google

UW-Platteville to Build 2.4MW Solar Array

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 02/23/21

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville has received approval from the state to erect a 2.4-megawatt solar array on its campus. According to the university, this will be the largest solar array owned by a Wisconsin state agency and will make the campus the sixth-highest on-site producer of renewable energy in the country among institutions of higher education.

According to a university article on the project, the array will feed directly into the main electricity meter connected to the 32 campus buildings, generating all electricity in real-time, rather than sending it back to the grid. The solar is expected to offset electricity by 17%, saving an annual $217,000 and reducing carbon emissions by 2,300 tons per year. The campus also hosts a wind turbine and a smaller rooftop solar project on its Engineering Hall.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville Solar Array
The existing solar array on the rooftop of Engineering Hall at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville
Source: University of Wisconsin-Platteville

The project was instigated when some 300 students at the school signed a petition in 2018, asking the administration to achieve 100% renewable energy for the campus by 2030. In the following year, 82% of students agreed with the goal in a referendum. The array is one of several projects now being advanced by the university to achieve carbon neutrality.

A chain-link fence will surround the array, which will be installed with pilings. The array is expected to have a 30-year life and is designed to accommodate future battery storage.

The array work is also providing students with opportunities for hands-on learning. Faculty are incorporating related projects into their coursework. Students in a sustainable and renewable energy systems course helped design the initial project. Dairy science students formed a plan for sheep grazing under the array. And reclamation, environment and conservation students developed a native pollinator seeding plan for the space.

"We are excited to take this momentous step in our commitment to sustainability," said Chancellor Dennis Shields in a statement. "These efforts will save taxpayer money and have a lasting impact on future generations of Pioneers."

The array is scheduled to be operational by fall 2021.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • classroom with crystal ball on top of a desk

    Call for Opinions: Spaces4Learning 2026 Predictions for Educational Facilities

    As 2025 winds to a close, the Spaces4Learning staff is asking its readers—school administrators, architects, engineers, facilities managers, builders, superintendents, designers, vendors, and more—to send us their predictions for educational facilities in 2026.

  • Preparing for the Next Era of Healthcare Education, Innovation

    Across the country, public universities and community colleges are accelerating investments in healthcare education facilities as part of a broader strategy to address workforce shortages, modernize outdated infrastructure, and expand clinical training capacity. These projects, which are often located at the center of campus health and science districts, are no longer limited to traditional classrooms.

  • Geometric abstract school illustration

    How Design Shapes Learning and Success

    Can the color of a wall, the curve of a chair, or the hum of fluorescent lights really affect how a student learns? More schools are beginning to think so.

  • Los Angeles City College Breaks Ground on New Administration, Workforce Building

    Los Angeles City College (LACC) in Los Angeles, Calif., recently broke ground on a new $72-million administrative facility, according to a news release. The Cesar Chavez Administration and Workforce Building will stand four stories, cover 67,230 square feet, and play home to a wide variety of the school’s educational and administrative services.

Digital Edition