University of Delaware to Establish 85 kW Rooftop Solar Array System

The University of Delaware (UD) has always been in the forefront with regard to Solar Technological Research. The oldest Solar Lab in the nation, Solar Center of Excellence, is located inside the UD campus. Currently the center is planning to install the largest rooftop solar array system in Delaware, to gain on its R&D activities.

The 85 kW system was both financed and installed by Standard Solar, a private company focused on developing, building, integrating, financing and installing solar electric systems, through  a leasing program.

According to Scott Wiater, Standard Solar’s President, UD was a superb site for such kind of projects, consuming vast amounts of power with their innumerable large buildings. He also said that UD’s student body was greatly interested in the University’s green ventures, and that the University also gets the credit for having an R&D centre on its premises. When completed the solar array at the rooftop would generate around 1 million kW hours of electricity, and slash the University’s utility bills by almost $30,000 every year.  Wiater quoted that this would also reduce emission of CO₂ by 1,810,000 pounds annually, equivalent to using 93,363 gallons gasoline less each year.

As the program is on lease with Standard Solar, upfront costs are eliminated for the University. Re-roofing was not needed, but the University did improve certain areas of the roof for lengthening the life time of the roofs. Wiater commented that Standard Solar would bear all the upfront costs except for some preparatory work carried out by the University. In turn the University has agreed to buy back the power, at a rate that is lesser than the existing utility rates for the next 20 year period. This understanding was ideal as the University need not invest a huge outlay of capital, while at the same time they get the benefit of clean energy at much lower costs.

The system would be installed on three buildings within the UD Campus, at Clayton Hall on the Laird Campus off Route 896; at the Delaware Field House at the David Nelson Athletic Complex and at 461 Wyoming Road. The Field House Project would utilize maximum number of solar panels and become Delaware’s largest rooftop solar array system.