Solar and wind energy projects expected to offset 100
percent of Brown’s on-campus electricity use
A
former sand and gravel mining site in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, will be
transformed into 240 acres of solar arrays capable of generating 50 megawatts
of direct current.Stephen Crocker / Brown University
As a major part of a campus-wide effort to cut greenhouse
gas emissions, Brown University has finalized agreements for two renewable
energy projects that are expected to produce enough combined solar and wind
power to offset all on-campus electricity use.
The
first project — a collaboration with Constellation,
a national competitive energy provider, and Providence-based Energy Development Partners (EDP)
— will create Rhode Island’s highest-capacity contiguous solar generation
project across a 240-acre field on a former gravel pit in North Kingstown.
The
50-megawatt (DC) solar facility is expected to deliver 40 megawatts of
converted AC power to the electrical grid. And use of the former gravel pit
will avoid any encroachment on neighborhoods or large-scale tree-clearing, two
quality-of-life and environmental concerns commonly associated with new
renewable projects.
The
North Kingstown project is expected to produce enough electricity to offset
about 70 percent of Brown’s annual electricity consumption generated through
fossil fuels.
A second renewable energy project, an 8-megawatt wind power project being developed in Texas with another energy services provider, is expected to produce enough electricity to offset the rest of Brown’s annual use.
A second renewable energy project, an 8-megawatt wind power project being developed in Texas with another energy services provider, is expected to produce enough electricity to offset the rest of Brown’s annual use.
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“In
choosing to offset all on-campus electricity use with renewable energy, we are
taking a significant step forward in reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said
University President Christina Paxson. “We realize that there is much more work
ahead to ensure we do all we can to contribute to global efforts to combat the
increasingly dire threat posed by climate change.”
The
two renewable energy projects enabled by Brown’s new energy services agreements
were selected from a pool of proposals submitted by more than 30 developers
across the country. Over many months, a committee of faculty and staff weighed
each project’s economic, social, political and environmental strengths.
Committee
chair Stephen Porder, Brown’s assistant provost for sustainability and an
associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, said the University’s
renewable energy purchases will contribute significantly to the State of Rhode
Island’s clean-energy objectives.
In 2017, Gov. Gina Raimondo announced a goal to increase the amount of renewable energy in the state from 100 megawatts to 1,000 megawatts by 2020.
In 2017, Gov. Gina Raimondo announced a goal to increase the amount of renewable energy in the state from 100 megawatts to 1,000 megawatts by 2020.
“By
enabling the construction of 40 megawatts of new renewables that will flow
directly into Rhode Island’s electrical grid, Brown will play a substantial
role in boosting the renewable energy assets in support of the state’s clean
energy goals,” Porder said.
“We
applaud Brown University for making the switch to 100 percent renewable energy
via these two projects,” said State Energy Commissioner Carol Grant. “Brown
should be commended for siting its Rhode Island solar array in a thoughtful and
responsible manner. Once this project moves forward, it will contribute to the
governor’s goal to reach 1,000 megawatts of clean energy by 2020 and help our
state continue to reduce its carbon emissions.”
The
solar project in North Kingstown will transform a former sand and gravel mining
site into a major renewable energy source.
EDP will purchase the land and develop the site in collaboration with Constellation, an Exelon company, which will maintain ownership of the solar arrays and, together with Brown, lease the land.
As outlined in a 25-year energy services agreement developed in partnership with CustomerFirst Renewables, Brown will obtain and retire project-specific renewable energy credits — essentially proof-of-ownership certificates that establish Brown’s right to claim the renewable energy as its own.
EDP will purchase the land and develop the site in collaboration with Constellation, an Exelon company, which will maintain ownership of the solar arrays and, together with Brown, lease the land.
As outlined in a 25-year energy services agreement developed in partnership with CustomerFirst Renewables, Brown will obtain and retire project-specific renewable energy credits — essentially proof-of-ownership certificates that establish Brown’s right to claim the renewable energy as its own.
“Brown
and its leadership should be commended for selecting this clean energy solution
to help the University — and the state of Rhode Island — achieve their joint
sustainability goals,” said Brendon Quinlivan, executive director of
distributed energy origination at Constellation.
“Increasingly, Constellation is working with schools and universities across the U.S. seeking to reduce their carbon footprint through the adoption of both on-site and off-site renewable energy solutions. Brown University has been a long-standing, valued Constellation customer, and we are exceptionally pleased to further diversify its energy sourcing strategies.”
“Increasingly, Constellation is working with schools and universities across the U.S. seeking to reduce their carbon footprint through the adoption of both on-site and off-site renewable energy solutions. Brown University has been a long-standing, valued Constellation customer, and we are exceptionally pleased to further diversify its energy sourcing strategies.”
Constellation’s
portfolio includes over 377 megawatts of solar generation in operation or under
construction nationwide.
Frank
Epps, chief executive officer of EDP, said the North Kingstown Planning
Commission and residential neighbors have supported the project
enthusiastically. He attributes that support to the fact that construction will
not disturb the surrounding woodlands and will ultimately improve nearby
residents’ quality of life.
What was once the site of dusty gravel piles and noisy tractors, Epps said, will become a quiet parcel of land lined with solar panels, and grass and other plants that will be planted to attract pollinators, including butterflies and bees.
What was once the site of dusty gravel piles and noisy tractors, Epps said, will become a quiet parcel of land lined with solar panels, and grass and other plants that will be planted to attract pollinators, including butterflies and bees.
“To
residents whose property abuts this land, this project means less traffic on
the roads, no more trucks going back and forth, no more loud noises, and no more
sand and dust,” Epps said.
Epps
added that EDP’s partnership with Brown isn’t confined to North Kingstown. The
energy company has already partnered with Brown on a number of smaller,
on-campus renewable-energy initiatives, and a $200,000 grant from EDP will fund
student research in renewable energy at the University’s School of Engineering.
A
specific timeframe for construction on both the solar arrays in Rhode Island
and the wind farm in Texas will be determined based on further discussion among
the University, its energy company providers and the local utility companies in
both states responsible for issuing project-specific interconnection
permissions.
Porder
said the energy services agreements with Constellation and the Texas wind
project developer continue a series of actions at Brown to cut greenhouse gas
emissions by 2020.
Brown had already reduced its emissions by 28 percent since 2007 through a variety of energy efficiency measures, including installing LED lighting around campus and converting its oil- and steam-powered heating systems to natural gas.
Further energy efficiency measures are also under way, including increasing thermal efficiency at the University’s central heating facility.
Brown had already reduced its emissions by 28 percent since 2007 through a variety of energy efficiency measures, including installing LED lighting around campus and converting its oil- and steam-powered heating systems to natural gas.
Further energy efficiency measures are also under way, including increasing thermal efficiency at the University’s central heating facility.
Between
those projects and these new renewable energy agreements, Porder said, Brown is
on track to reduce its net greenhouse gas emissions by almost 67 percent
relative to its 2007 benchmark.
“Eliminating our greenhouse gas emissions from electricity is one crucial step,” Porder said. “But we can’t afford to slow down. The scientific consensus is that society as a whole needs to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by the time today’s first-year college students are in their 40s. Brown has a real chance to lead the way in the fight against this existential threat.”