CSU Pueblo Announces Net-Zero Efficiency with Completion of Solar Array

  • By Matt Jones
  • 09/08/21

Colorado State University Pueblo in Pueblo, Colo., recently announced that it has become the first university in the state to achieve net-zero efficiency. The achievement comes with the completion of a 23-acre solar array on the north side of campus, which has already begun supplying solar power to all academic buildings. The project began as a 25-year power purchase agreement with Johnson Controls.

“Controlling energy costs is not only sustainable and the right thing to do, but it also allows us to keep higher education affordable for our students,” said CSU Pueblo President Timothy Mottet. “Our solar project, as well as other campus-wide energy savings programs that Johnson Controls made possible, will allow us to minimize energy costs for the next two decades, allowing us to pass on these savings to our students. We are working hard to keep higher education affordable and within reach for the people of Pueblo and Southern Colorado.”

The solar project began in February 2019 as a partnership among the university, Johnson Controls, Capital Dynamics and Black Hills Energy in Pueblo, according to a news release. The array will allow the university to generate excess power and put it back into the grid. The CSU System Board of Governors approved the project based on its forethought and a feasibility study guaranteeing financial savings for the university. The project also aligns with the university’s goals of sustainable living and energy efficiency.

“To become the first campus in Colorado to reach net-zero efficiency is a remarkable achievement, and we commend the University’s leadership for its vision and determination to reach this milestone,” said Nate Manning, President of Building Solutions North America at Johnson Controls. “This achievement is a beacon of what we can accomplish together. We are proud to have partnered with CSU Pueblo for more than 20 years and, working alongside Capital Dynamics and Black Hills Energy, create sustainable, energy efficient and healthy environments at the University and across Pueblo.”

The project involved the installation of a photovoltaic system with solar panels and a rechargeable battery, according to CSU Pueblo’s Craig Cason, Associate Vice President for Facilities and the project lead. “The project is possible with a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) and a long-term lease agreement on approximately 23 acres on the north side of campus,” he said.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Average Annual Number of Tornadoes per State

    New Tornado Wind Load Design Criteria in IBC Offer Improvements to Life Safety

    For the first time in U.S. building code history, the 2024 International Building Code (IBC) includes tornado wind load design criteria, marking a significant advancement in life-safety provisions.

  • Uvalde Schools Receive AI Security Technology through Grant Program

    AI-powered gun detection and emergency response technology solutions provider Omnilert recently launched the Save Haven Grant program, according to a news release. The first recipient of the grant, aimed specifically at schools that have faced gun violence, will be the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District (Uvalde CISD) in Uvalde, Texas.

  • Tennessee State University Gains Approval for New Engineering Facility

    Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tenn., recently announced that it has received approval from the Tennessee State Building Commission to build a new engineering building on campus, according to a university news release. The 70,000-square-foot, $50-million facility will play home to the university’s engineering programs and the Applied & Industrial Technology program.

  • How One School Reimagined Learning Spaces—and What Others Can Learn

    When Collegedale Academy, a PreK–8 school outside Chattanooga, Tenn., needed a new elementary building, we faced the choice that many school leaders eventually confront: repair an aging facility or reimagine what learning spaces could be. Our historic elementary school held decades of memories for families, including some who had once walked its halls as children themselves. But years of wear and the need for costly repairs made it clear that investing in the old building would only patch the problems rather than solve them.