Solar panels are becoming the utility of choice for facilities across the country. With a one-time installation cost, solar panels are cost-efficient and environmentally-friendly, making them an ideal source of electricity for businesses that are otherwise not very “green.”
The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) will begin powering part of its campus through the use of solar panels early this April. The 6,138 solar panels are located at the south end of campus, and will provide roughly 3% of the college’s electricity.The solar panels will produce approximately 2.3 million kilowatts of electricity, which could power up to 200 homes.
The solar energy installation was donated to RIT by Buffalo-based Solar Liberty, on the condition that the university pays for the first 20 years of electricity produced by the solar panels.
Solar panels are a convenient source of energy on a large scale because they require little to no maintenance and remain functional for up to 40 years. RIT’s Assistant Vice President of Facilities Management Services John More told WHAM news that the solar panels are expected to save the university up to $70,000 annually.
In Jackson, New Jersey, one company is attempting a slightly more ambitious solar energy installation. Six Flags Great Adventure will be building a solar array on 134 acres near its safari park. To build the solar panel installation, the park will have to remove an estimated 18,000 trees, but intends to plant 25,000 in a nearby location to replace them.
The Six Flags solar plant is expected to be fully operational in 2016, producing 21.9 megawatts. The output would be able to power an estimated 3,100 homes, making the solar plant the largest in New Jersey. Approximately 98% of the park’s energy will be provided by the solar energy installation.
Hopefully, more amusement parks and colleges will be inspired by RIT and Six Flags to build their own solar panels and make more environmentally-friendly choices about power in the future.
[Photo credit: RIT News.]
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