This spring, Oregon State University (OSU) brought the largest of its ground-mounted solar arrays online as part of Oregon University System’s “Solar by Degrees” program.
The university now has three solar project sites in Corvallis covering some 10 acres collectively that have the capacity to generate more than 2.6 million kWh of power per year. The system not only provides cost savings by providing solar energy for less than current utility power rates, it helps Oregon State reduce its carbon footprint in a way that doesn’t cost the university money up front.
The arrays were constructed and are owned and operated by SolarCity, which has worked with OSU and the Oregon Institute of Technology for several years on the Solar by Degrees programs. The company’s collaboration with OSU has not been limited to the Corvallis campus, according to Brandon Trelstad, the university’s sustainability coordinator.
“The way the partnership works is that SolarCity installs the solar arrays at no cost to the university, and OSU simply pays for solar energy that they produce – at a lower rate than they would pay for utility power,” he says.
OSU’s largest solar installation, the 1,435 kW solar array on Campus Way, doubles as a field for sheep grazing. The array produces power for OSU’s main campus.
Fall of 2014, SolarCity completed a 431-kW installation at OSU’s Hermiston Agricultural Research and Experiment Station in Eastern Oregon, and another 221-kW solar project at the North Willamette Research and Extension Center (NWREC) in Aurora. Annual electrical output from all five OSU solar sites is approximately equivalent to the annual carbon emissions from 255,025 gallons of gasoline, or 477 passenger vehicles, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator.
“This is another step toward meeting OSU’s aggressive carbon emissions reduction targets,” says Trelstad. “It also saves the university money and provides some unique research and educational opportunities. Advancements like Solar by Degrees don’t come along often, and I’m glad that OSU has been able to maximize our use of the groundwork laid by the Oregon University System.”
Two of the sites in Corvallis have operated for more than a year, but the latest site in Corvallis – which is located near 35th Street and Campus Way – just went online, and all three installations are grid-tied.
At the branch Experiment Stations, the arrays not only save money, they provide an example of how solar power can work in a rural and/or agricultural setting.
“The solar array at Hermiston is expected to reduce our electricity costs by about half – a savings of about $30,000 in the first year and could increase in the future depending on electricity costs,” says Philip B. Hamm, director of the Hermiston Agricultural Research and Experiment Station.
Michael Bondi, director of the NWREC, said the center received its first electrical utility bill at the end of February, since the project was launched.
“For that month, we reduced our cost from the previous year by 50%,” he says. “I like how that looks, especially in the middle of winter and a lot of gray days. Based on the design specs for the project, we expect to reduce our electrical usage from the grid by 80 to 85% each year. I’d say we are well on the way to that goal.”
“This will likely be the largest scale installation we complete here,” says Trelstad. “However, over the next few years, we will look for additional opportunities to install solar panels on roofs, since we already have used much of the compatible ground space.”
The 221-kW array across from Charbonneau Village on Miley Road is tied electrically to the NWREC farm. The array will generate up to 80% of the farm’s electrical needs and will save the 160-acre agricultural research center up to $15,000 in yearly energy cost.
At two of the three Corvallis installations, the College of Agricultural Sciences is grazing sheep next to the solar arrays, which is how the land previously was used.
“This is a great way to optimize land use and not consume productive ground solely with solar installations,” says Trelstad.
At the Aurora location, a bee and insect pollinator habitat area is being planned. At the Hermiston location, the area had never been used for research given its irregular shape and lack of water availability, but now benefits the campus to provide solar power in an otherwise unusable space.
Installation Details:
- Panels: SolarWorld and Suniva
- Inverters: PV Powered, Solectria, Xantrex
- Racking: Schletter
More information on the arrays, including photos and electricity production information, is available here.