Hobart and William Smith Colleges has announced installation has been completed on a 5-megawatt solar power system, one of the largest state-supported solar projects for a New York college or University.
Officials at HWS say the two solar farms, one in Geneva the other in Seneca, each provide 2.5 megawatts of clean energy.
Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies, Tom Brennan, says HWS is committed to carbon neutrality by the year 2025, and this project will help the school reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.
“These two farms, combined, will provide about 50 percent of our campus power, without releasing greenhouse gases,” he said.
At the same time, students will be getting hands-on experience in clean energy learning.
“It’s one thing to talk about solar, and what it would take to have this kind of impact. But then you actually go see it and it makes it a lot more real," he said.
Funding for the project comes from NY-Sun a one billion dollar initiative to advance the solar industry in New York, and it's administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
Additional funding comes from companies that were offered incentives to invest in the projects.
Dynamic Energy, which installed the solar panels, operates the solar farms.
Drennan says HWS has agreed to buy 100 percent of the power from the farms for 25 years at a set rate.