CCAC Banks on Solar Power with Large-Scale, 540-Kilowatt Installation - The Green Voice

The Community College of Allegheny County — or CCAC — has expanded  its commitment to renewable energy with a large, new solar array.

The  two-year college, which serves around 25,000 students a year through  its four campuses, five neighborhood centers, and other off-site  locations throughout the Greater Pittsburgh region, recently announced  that it would install a new solar installation covering the entire roof  of CCAC’s North Campus building in McCandless, Pa. The array is expected  to produce about 540 kilowatts of electricity annually — enough to  power almost 90 homes — and will save CCAC about $750,000 in energy  costs over the next 28 years, or about $27,000 a year

Details on the construction timeline have yet to be released.

“This  project is a win for the college and for the environment,” says CCAC  vice president and Chief Facilities Officer, J.B. Messer.

The  North Campus array is the third one adopted by the school — in 2018,  CCAC installed two other arrays at the West Hills Center and the  Allegheny Campus on the North Side. However, the latest array is capable  of a much larger energy-producing capacity compared to the first two,  which generate 15 and 64 kilowatts, respectively.

The North Campus  building array also marks the first time that CCAC will execute a Power  Purchase Agreement, a tool used by tax-exempt organizations to obtain  solar energy with little to no upfront financing. In the agreement, a  third-party investor owns and maintains the solar array and host site,  while the organization pays for the energy generated by the system.

Messer  says that BAI Group, a civil engineering and environmental solutions  design firm based in State College, Pa., will “build, operate and  maintain the array, and CCAC will pay for the electricity at a  contractually-defined, predictable rate.”

CCAC also plans to use  the array as a teaching tool for various classes. Messer defines this  more clearly, saying that students “will be able to use the array to  explore concepts in physics, electricity and business.”

“CCAC has  been serving its community for generations through transformative  academic programs,” says Sel Edor, market director of renewables for  BAI. “In our view, this solar project is another demonstration of CCAC’s  commitment to its community, faculty, and students. ... More than a  cost-saving measure, this 540kW solar project will serve as an  educational tool that will help train the next generation of energy  professionals.

Pennsylvania has a long history of energy leadership. We  believe the state can lead in the clean energy transition as well. This  CCAC solar project is a step in that direction.”

CCAC demonstrates  a shift by higher education institutions in the region to commit to  clean energy. In Feb. 2020, the University of Pittsburgh announced its  campus would become carbon neutral by 2037, its 250th anniversary. Part  of Pitt's plan included purchasing at least 50% of the campus  electricity from renewable sources by 2030, including from a  hydroelectric power plant in the Allegheny River slated to go online by  2023.