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The university has plans to install 4,026 solar panels with a capacity of 1.26 megawatts of power at the Daniel J. Curran Place and on the roof of Fitz Hall. UD officials said the panels will provide approximately 2 percent of campuswide power consumption and offset carbon emissions by about 1 percent annually.
The solar arrays will provide nearly 10 percent of the power consumption of both buildings and will power electric car charging stations at both locations, according to the school.
UD hopes to have the arrays active by early 2019.
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Offsetting campus carbon emissions by 1 percent in a year is equal to the annual greenhouse gas emissions of 278 cars, or the annual carbon dioxide emissions from 1.4 million pounds of burned coal, 140 homes, or conserving 3,010 barrels of oil, according to the school.
During the 30-year lifespan of the arrays, the unit will save about $300,000 and prevent 39,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from being added to the atmosphere, according to the university.
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“This project fits our Catholic mission and our responsibility to be good stewards of God’s creation, and is another step toward fulfilling our aspiration to be a leader in sustainability education, research, and operations,” said UD President Eric Spina in a release.
As part of the long-term power purchase agreement, Cincinnati-based Melink Corporation will engineer and construct the arrays, and sell the electricity to the university. The university has an option to purchase the arrays after eight years.
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