Penn State solar

Penn State is one of the largest and most esteemed U.S. universities, educating 100,000 students on 24 campuses across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In February 2019, Penn State and Lightsource bp announced that they’d signed a 25-year contract for clean, renewable electricity to power the university.

On 15th October 2020, Lightsource bp and Penn State held a virtual ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the successful completion and operation of the solar project.

The agreement is for 70 megawatts of large-scale offsite solar, providing 25% of Penn State’s state-wide electricity requirements. This development will enable the university to achieve its goal of a 35% greenhouse gas reduction by 2020, while saving $14 million on their electricity bills and providing long-term budget certainty. The project also supports Pennsylvania’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (AEPS), which mandates that a certain percentage of electricity be generated by solar photovoltaics, helping to diversify the Commonwealth’s energy portfolio and increase security with locally generated power.

One of the largest in the state, the project is comprised of over 150,000 solar panels installed across three sites, encompassing approximately 500 acres of land in Franklin County, outside of Chambersburg, and near Penn State’s Mont Alto campus. The project was 100% financed and built by Lightsource bp, with all three sites entering commercial operation by the end of 2020.

Both Penn State and Lightsource bp are incredibly proud of this solar project, and the opportunities it will offer both organisations, Penn State students and the local communities.