The University of Delaware (UD) has long been a leader in the research of solar technology. The school has the oldest solar laboratory in the nation and holds the designation of a Solar Center of Excellence. Now, the institution catches up with its R&D by installing the largest rooftop solar array in the state of Delaware.

Standard Solar, a privately held company specializing in the development, construction, integration, financing and installation of solar electric systems, is financing and installing the 85-kilowatt solar electric roof project for the University through a leasing program.

“UD is a great location for projects like the one we are constructing—they use a lot of power and have lots of large buildings,” said Scott Wiater, president of Standard Solar. “The student body is very interested in the University becoming more ‘green,’ and UD boasts the designation of a solar center of excellence for the research work being done there.”

Upon completion, the rooftop array at UD is expected to generate more than 1 million kilowatt hours of electricity and reduce the University’s electric bill by an estimated $30,000 each year.

“UD’s system will result in 1,810,000 fewer pounds of carbon dioxide being emitted annually,” said Wiater. “The avoided emissions will be the equivalent of reducing the use of 93,363 gallons of gasoline each year.”

Through the leasing program with Standard Solar, there are no upfront costs to the University. No re-roofing was required for the project, according to Wiater, though the University did elect to improve areas to ensure longevity of the roofs themselves.

“Standard Solar pays for all of the upfront costs, minus some of the prep work done by the University, and the University agrees to purchase the power for the next 20 years at a rate that is less than they are currently paying,” said Wiater. “This arrangement is ideal because it requires no capital from UD, and UD gets a lower cost of electricity.”

The solar array will be installed on three buildings on UD’s campus in Newark: the Delaware Field House at the David Nelson Athletic Complex off South College Avenue, at Clayton Hall on the Laird Campus off Route 896 and at 461 Wyoming Road. The Field House project comprises the majority of the panels and will be the single largest rooftop array in the state of Delaware.

Pictured: University of Delaware's Field House. Image courtesy of Standard Solar.