Colorado State Student Project Adds 114-Megawatt Solar Array

A student-driven initiative at Colorado State University has added almost 114 megawatt hours of clean electricity to the Fort Collins-based university's annual solar generation. The purchase of an 80-kilowatt, $100,000 photovoltaic solar array was funded almost entirely by student fees allocated through the Associated Students of Colorado State University (ASCSU), beginning in 2019. Recently, the university announced a deal that would double solar usage on the campus and help it towards a goal of shifting all energy needs to renewable energy by 2030.

The final project undertaken by students ended up being four times larger than the initial plan due to falling prices for PV, funding supplements provided by the Lory Student Center (on whose roof the panels reside) and Facilities Management, as well as incentives from a solar rebate program sponsored by the City of Fort Collins.

Colorado State University Lory Student Center
Colorado State University's Lory Student Center is the site of a new student-funded solar array.
Photo courtesy of Drew Halpern, EnergyLink

The Lory Student Center solar installation was finished last December.

"This is a tangible reflection of students' commitment to sustainability, truly a reflection of their values," said Mike Ellis, assistant vice president for student affairs and executive director of the LSC, in a campus article about the project. "The LSC is fortunate to be the beneficiary of their commitment to clean energy."

"This is a different way of investing in the building that (students) can be really proud of. It literally pays back and saves future students money," added Stacey Baumgarn, campus energy coordinator with Facilities Management. "In that way, the spirit and intent are really awesome."

Baumgarn leads green walking tours on campus and had been floating the idea of crowdfunding a smaller solar array at the student center for almost a decade. Two ASCSU senators—Rachael Dines and Daria Kramer—who joined one of his tours in 2018, reached out to him with the idea of writing a bill to secure funding. Although they graduated before the bill was passed, other students stepped in to see the project through to completion.

"They were the ones who had to stand in front of the Senate and fight for this. I get excited about how they kept the focus," Baumgarn said. "I'm proud of the students who hung in there."

"Students here really have a passion for sustainability, and I don't think we would be a leader in global campus sustainability if it weren't for that dedication," said Sophia Shepp, director of environmental affairs for ASCSU. "ASCSU is honored to have supported this project through its completion, and I look forward to seeing what we accomplish next."

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Kimball International Launches Season 5 of Alternative Design Podcast

    Commercial furnishings manufacturer Kimball International recently premiered the fifth season of its Alternative Design podcast, according to a news release. The first episode was released on March 17, and new episodes will launch monthly. The podcast discusses forces that shape built environments, from work to housing to healthcare to human wellness.

  • 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.

  • K12 Tutoring Earns Every Student Succeeds Act Level II Validation

    Personalized online tutoring service K12 Tutoring recently announced that it has received Level II validation underneath the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), according to a news release. The independently validated study provides evidence of K12 Tutoring’s role in creating positive student outcomes through effective academic intervention and research-based solutions.

  • modern college building with circuit and brain motifs

    Anthropic Introduces Claude for Education

    Anthropic has launched a version of its Claude AI assistant tailored for higher education institutions. Claude for Education "gives academic institutions secure, reliable AI access for their entire community," the company said, to enable colleges and universities to develop and implement AI-enabled approaches across teaching, learning, and administration.

Digital Edition