A laptop charging station powered by the sun will be installed at the University of San Diego. | Photo courtesy of AMSOLAR Corp.
This summer, the University of San Diego is breaking ground on a solar energy project — without breaking the bank.
Through a power purchase agreement with a private-sector vendor, the company will own the solar panels, and the school will pay the company, AMSOLAR Corp. based in Solana Beach, Calif., for the electricity the panels generate. As electricity rates keep going up, the university will save more money. Already, the initial estimate of a 15 percent savings on the utility bill has doubled to 30 percent, totaling about $140,000.
“By far the biggest benefit is we don’t go out of pocket for any of this," said Michael Catanzaro, the university's director of sustainability. "All we do is pay AMSOLAR now for the electricity we would otherwise be paying the electric company for.”
For the next 25 years, the California university will pay for that electricity at a fixed rate.
“It’s just super advantageous for us, economically and environmentally," Catanzaro said. "It makes it a really easy sell.”
Several years ago, the university's electricity bill increased by 20 to 30 percent, and the university raised tuition rates to make up the difference, Catanzaro said. But now, creating budgets for utilities will be much easier.
By the end of September, the university will have a 1.2 megawatt solar system, which will be tied for the eighth-largest system on a U.S. college campus. The roofs of about 10 buildings will hold 5,500 solar panels, and parking lot structures and laptop charging stations will also have panels.
Along with economic and environmental benefits, the solar system will impact education. Through the company's support, a group of student leaders on the Green Team will educate the campus about the importance of renewable energy.
“We think it is a fundamentally critical teachable moment, a moment that should inspire students and inspire faculty members — whether they’re kindergartners at one school or graduate students at another — to think more carefully about their choices with respect to how they treat the environment and how we collectively consume resources,” said Joshua Weinstein, managing partner at AMSOLAR.
During intercession in January, Catanzaro hopes to set up a class on solar energy. He's working with the dean of the College of Business on the inter-disciplinary class, which will cover the legal aspects of power purchase agreements and the environmental impacts of solar power, among other topics. Company representatives will help teach the class.
Installing solar panels will benefit the university and the community in a huge way, Catanzaro said.
“Why wouldn’t you save money if you could?" he asked. "You get to save money and help the environment, I love it.”
