Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

University of Pittsburgh to Build 20MW Solar Farm

  • By Matt Jones
  • 11/16/22

The University of Pittsburgh recently began construction on a 20-megawatt solar farm that, once complete, will provide 100 percent of its electricity to the campus for the next twenty years, according to a university news release. The Gaucho Solar project will cover 68 acres near the Pittsburgh International Airport, use more than 55,000 solar panels, and is scheduled for completion in 2023.

The farm is estimated to produce about 35,700 megawatt-hours of electricity per year, or about 18 percent of the campus’ annual energy use. In conjunction with the university’s commitment to hydropower solutions, about 42 percent of the campus’ future electricity use will come from local, renewable sources, the news release reports.

The university is partnering with Vesper Energy to make the project a reality. The contract terms dictate that the university will directly purchase clean energy with no upfront capital or maintenance costs, as well as provide price certainty for the duration of the contract.

“The University of Pittsburgh is fully committed to achieving carbon neutrality for our Pittsburgh campus by 2037, with local, renewable energy getting us one-third of the way there,” said Aurora Sharrard, University of Pittsburgh executive director of sustainability. “We are very excited for Vesper’s Gaucho Solar facility to be the largest contributing renewable asset to date for the university’s goals of producing or procuring 50 percent of our total Pittsburgh campus electricity from renewables by 2030 and 100 percent by 2037.”

The solar farm will also feature pollinator-friendly landscaping and an observation area for educational use.

“Vesper Energy is proud to partner with the University of Pittsburgh to help achieve their goal of 100 percent renewable electricity powering the campus,” said Vesper Energy CEO Craig Carson. “Gaucho Solar is our first project to reach construction in the Keystone State. With great partners like the University of Pittsburgh, we plan to bring more clean energy projects online in Pennsylvania in the near future.”

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Dallas ISD Voters Approve $6.2B Bond Package

    Dallas ISD voters have approved a record-setting $6.2-billion bond package that district leaders say will modernize aging campuses, eliminate portable classrooms and reshape learning environments across one of the nation’s largest school systems.

  • Academy of Classical Education Breaks Ground in Louisiana

    Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) recently announced the groundbreaking of a new public charter school in Covington, La., according to a news release. The Academy of Classical Education at Covington will enroll students in grades K–8 and is scheduled for completion in August 2026, just in time for the new school year.

  • Campus Safety Requires Using Every Resource Available

    Across the U.S., school and campus leaders are facing a security landscape that has changed dramatically over the past decade. Incidents on school property have increased in recent years, with several consecutive years setting record totals. According to analysis of data by CNN, dozens of shootings now occur on school grounds annually across K-12 and higher education environments.

  • California School District Completes Elementary School Modernization

    The San Diego Unified School District in San Diego, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting for a whole-site modernization of Pacific Beach Elementary School, according to local news. The school first opened with one building in 1930 and added six more between 1938 and 1957.