Harvard goes green with new solar power system

on Tuesday,January 12,2010 20:01

With the growing popularity of green building within the architecture field, many schools have been making the effort to go green. In keeping with this trend, Ivy League stalwart Harvard University has recently announced the completion of its first rooftop solar power system.

The product of a partnership with CarbonFree Technology, Integrys Energy Services and the SunPower Corporation, the new 500-kilowatt solar panels is located atop a historic brownstone in the institution''s arsenal.

Designers estimate that the solar photovoltaic panels could generate enough electricity to run 83 average Massachusetts homes each year, and will offset the schools carbon dioxide output by 367 metric tons a year.

The SunPower-designed T5 Solar Roof tile is the industry''s first non-penetrating rooftop that combines the solar panel, frame and mounting system in a single unit, allowing the tiles to maximize the amount of sunlight it can absorb at any given time.

"It is clear to us that Harvard has a serious commitment to environmental sustainability, and is looking for ways to creatively reduce operating costs on campus," said SunPower''s managing director Tom Leyden. "We feel this project serves both objectives. The T5 Roof Tile will deliver more solar energy per square meter and greater energy savings than conventional systems."