CarbonFree Technology, Integrys Energy Services Inc. and SunPower Corp. have completed Harvard University's first large rooftop solar power system. The 500 kW SunPower system was installed on the roof of one of the historic buildings that make up the Arsenal on the Charles complex in Watertown, Mass., a former military installation purchased by Harvard in 2001.
‘The multi-story building was erected during World War I and is an ideal site for solar, with a flat, unshaded roof,’ notes Joseph Gregory, assistant director of sustainability at Harvard Real Estate Services. ‘Despite the age of the building, the roof has been upgraded and has a long expected life, making it perfect for this system.’
The system features the SunPower T5 Solar Roof Tile, a non-penetrating rooftop product that combines a SunPower solar panel, frame and mounting system into a single pre-engineered unit.
The project is owned by Crimson Solar LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Integrys Energy Services Inc. Harvard has committed to buy the power generated from the system, and the associated solar renewable energy certificates, for 25 years at a pre-determined rate, with no upfront capital cost.
SOURCE: SunPower Corp.
