The University has joined a new partnership with AMP Energy to reduce Rochester’s carbon footprint. The new collaboration supports New York State’s solar development, benefiting local communities and investing in a more sustainable future.
Solar energy is clean, which means that its production and consumption has a lower negative impact on the environment compared to other resources that emit greenhouse gases. Solar power is free and renewable for as long as the sun is burning, making it a reliable energy option. Solar farms are large areas of land with ground-mounted solar panels (known as photovoltaic panels) which harvest the sun’s rays and regenerate them as solar energy, or electricity.
Healthcare contributes to 8% of all U.S. energy emissions, due in part to the need to operate 24 hours per day, all year round. AMP Energy owns dozens of solar farms world-wide. Locally, community solar farms are providing credits to healthcare facilities looking to offset their carbon footprint. The University of Rochester has subscribed to six solar energy farms owned by AMP Energy. The six sites will supply over 60 million kWh annually to upstate New York or enough electricity to serve 7,500 homes.
While the University will receive up to 40% of the solar credits generated from these farms, residential community members are also able to take advantage of this service for the remaining credits, without having to put solar panels onsite. Any resident or commercial entity that pays for electricity can sign up for a share of the financial credits generated through a community solar program located in their local utility district, and start saving money on their utility bills with no out-of-pocket expenses. The image below explains the process.
Alongside this new partnership, the University continues to promote renewable energy on its campuses. Solar-lighted bike racks and the rooftop solar array on Goergen Athletic Center are two examples of innovative projects that utilize solar energy on campus.
Written by Emily Su, Class of 2022
Photo credits: https://www.pexels.com/search/solar%20panels/
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the University’s partnership with Community Solar to reduce its carbon footprint. It’s great to see institutions taking proactive steps towards sustainability and reducing their environmental impact. The Community Solar program is an innovative solution that allows individuals and organizations to access clean energy without the need for costly infrastructure or installation. Your point about the potential for this program to serve as a model for other institutions and communities to follow is well taken, as it highlights the importance of collaboration and collective action in addressing climate change. Overall, this is a positive step forward for the University and for the wider community, and I look forward to seeing more initiatives like this in the future.
We are going to have to do something, it can’t be at the price that electricity is reaching these days, we must opt more for renewable energies.