Notre Dame goes solar
Inovateus Solar has completed a 144.72-kW solar photovoltaic installation for the University of Notre Dame. The ground-mounted system is located at the Kenmore Warehouse storage facility and is the largest solar array built by the university to date as well as the biggest PV installation in South Bend.
The Kenmore solar system is connected to the main electric power feed for the building and will generate approximately 194,000 kWh of electricity annually, offsetting nearly one-third of the total electricity used by the facility. A net-metering agreement signed between the university and Indiana Michigan Power calls for any power generated in excess of the building’s immediate demand to be fed into the local grid for use by the utility and credited to Notre Dame.
The system is estimated to reduce the university’s carbon dioxide emissions by some 296,000 pounds the first year, and nearly 2000 tons over its lifespan of some 20 years.
Inovateus is developing and building several other major projects in the Midwest and adjacent regions, including a multi-site solar parking canopy installation at Michigan State University, which will be completed later this year and become the largest solar carport in North America.
UVA partners with Dominion Energy on solar facility
The University of Virginia continues to expand its portfolio of carbon-free generation and achieve key sustainability targets with another partnership announced today with Dominion Energy.
Under a 25-year agreement, the University will purchase the entire output of a proposed 120-acre solar facility in Middlesex County. The solar facility, developed by Coronal Energy, will be constructed and owned by Dominion Energy. It will produce an estimated 15 megawatts of alternating current, or about 9 percent of the University’s electric demand.
The UVA Puller Solar facility joins the previously announced UVA Hollyfield Solar facility. In total, the two sites will produce 32 megawatts of solar energy and will offset about 21 percent of the University’s electric demand.
The UVA Puller Solar Facility was acquired as a development asset from Coronal Energy, a solar development company with regional headquarters in Charlottesville, Va. The facility will feature approximately 58,800 solar panels, enough to power about 3,750 homes at peak output. Construction is slated to start in late 2017, with commercial operations occurring by the end of 2018.
Coronal Energy, powered by Panasonic, is a leading independent power producer and provider of turnkey solar energy solutions tailored for diverse enterprise customers across North America, including utilities, corporations, and the public sector.
— Solar Builder magazine
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