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Boulder, CO 2009 - Bella Energy and Colorado State University, using funding from the Governor's Energy Office, installed a solar electric system on CSU's Engineering Building to reduce their overall environmental footprint. The solar panels overlook the university's Plaza as a clearly visible demonstration of CSU's commitment to sustainability.
The Governor's Energy Office provided about a third of the solar system's overall construction costs from the state's 2009 Solar Rebate Program, which offers rebates of up to $15,000 per system for small businesses.CSU supplemented the GEO grant with federal rebate money it received from other energy efficiency projects. The grant program includes 32 Colorado cities, utilities and non-profit partners and is administered by the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (CoSEIA).
The roof mounted 18.9 kilowatt solar system is expected to produce more than 25,000 kilowatt hours per year of clean energy from the sun, and will reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of the Engineering Building by 18.3 metric tons per year.
Jim Welch, President of CoSEIA and CEO of Bella Energy said "Clearly CSU is committed to making the university community sustainable and takes seriously its role as a leader in creating the Governor's New Energy Economy. Students will see that renewable energy is part of their energy future."
"It's a valuable learning experience for students and it supplements our recent efficiency upgrades including installing new fluorescent lights, a closed loop-chilled water system and a CO2 demand ventilation system," said Carol Dollard, Energy Engineer for CSU's Department of Facilities Management. "We plan to install additional systems on campus that will produce more significant amounts of power."
Over the expected 30+ year life of the solar system, the cost of electricity from the grid will rise, increasing cost savings every year. The system will protect CSU against the uncertainty of future energy costs.
"The project happened very quickly because GEO funding had to be spent. Contracting and design work only took a few months and Bella Energy's mounting framework was fabricated offsite in their shop in only a few weeks. Bella Energy installed the system on the roof in a week," continued Dollard. |
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