Distributed Energy Resources, Energy Efficiency, GHG Emissions, Solar  -  April 26, 2023

St. John’s College to Install Solar, EV Charging

St. John’s College announced the launch of a comprehensive, multi-phase solar and energy efficiency project for its Santa Fe campus. The project will include the installation of 1,670 solar panels and 20 electric vehicle charging stations across four campus parking lots.

The educational institution is partnering with Ameresco, Inc. As part of the contract, St. John’s College will benefit from renovated facility infrastructure and opportunities to save on energy.

Featuring a grid-connected photovoltaic design, the solar installation will connect the energy generated to the local utility grid and fulfill St. John’s College’s power storage and usage needs.

In a statement, Mark Roosevelt, President of St. John’s College Santa Fe, discussed how these energy solutions support the environment, "At St. John's College, we are proud to be moving forward on multiple fronts. The implementation of these sustainable solutions ensures that our campus facilities and student offerings fit the culture we’ve built our institution on. I’m thrilled that we’re incorporating innovative technologies into our campus design and entering into a new era of environmental responsibility.”

St. John’s College has already made key enhancements, including campus-wide interior and exterior LED lighting retrofits, re-roofing and rooftop HVAC retrofits on three buildings, boiler and air handling unit replacements, and water infrastructure updates in the dormitories.

These updates are intended to help St. John’s College achieve its goal of reducing its carbon footprint by 858 metric tons, which is equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 167 homes or 96,530 gallons of gasoline consumed, delivering over $100,000 in annual cost savings.

This project was made possible thanks to St. John’s College Santa Fe’s Class of 2019 senior gift, which provided funding for an energy audit of the campus.