Solar, Sourcing Renewables  -  November 14, 2019

Denver campus installs 779 kW rooftop solar

The Auraria Campus in Denver, Colo., announced Nov. 12 the near completion of a 770 kW solar project on its library rooftop, the largest single-roof solar array in downtown Denver.

The project's developers from the Auraria Sustainable Campus Program, in partnership with the Auraria Higher Education Center and Namastè Solar of Boulder, expect the project to be fully functional in early November and for it to provide two-thirds of the library’s electricity needs.

The array features 2,100 panels and is expected to produce approximately 1 million kWh annually. Once operational, it will increase the Auraria Campus solar capacity to 854 kW and supply 2.5% of the annual campus-wide power consumption.

The Auraria Sustainable Campus Program also expects the savings from the project to increase its annual funding by 10-15%, while avoiding 1.2 million pounds of CO2 each year.

"Auraria Campus is fortunate to be situated in one of the most solar-friendly climates in the country and the new solar array reinforces our ongoing commitment to renewable energy initiatives on campus," Colleen Walker, AHEC CEO, said in a statement.

The 150-acre campus serves the Community College of Denver, the Metropolitan State University of Denver and the University of Colorado Denver.