American University in Cairo
OP-5: Energy Use

1. On the roofs of Plot 2, a solar PV power station of a total of 133.7 MW hr per year is installed. The project consists of a 78.4 kWp grid-connected plant consisting of 234 polycrystalline 335 Wp panels and two 33k inverters. Through this solar project, AUC is working to transition to a cleaner, renewable energy source that offsets carbon emissions and reduces energy costs. The solar project helps AUC reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 77 tons per year.

2. On the roofs of Plot 3, a solar heater station of a total of 167 KWs was installed. AUC initiated a project to earn its first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Operations and Management (O+M) certification. LEED (O+M) aids building managers in creating more green operations, helping to maximize operational efficiency and minimize environmental impacts. Currently, the building has features including a green roof, solar heating with a capacity of 167 KWs, energy-efficient doors and windows, motion sensors, sub-meters, and a landscape full of low-impact native plants. Monthly water and building-level energy consumption data are being continuously monitored, and policies such as no-smoking policies, waste management, or green cleaning have been either implemented or discussed for future implementation.

3. A pilot solar PV power station of a total of 16.9 kW is installed in the campus development center. Several solar panel projects are being piloted across campus. The School of Sciences and Engineering installed a small array to generate electricity and to be used in a university-industry collaboration on the development of new solar technology. The Center for Sustainable Development (CSD) has a solar array as part of their research on a sustainable solar energy-desalination nexus, which would use solar energy to make drinkable water from saltwater or brackish water. The leftover brine produced in this nexus would be then utilized for aquaculture.

The Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus is at the core of CARES’ research activities. The research includes examining the interconnections between water, energy, and food to ensure the security of all three for an ever-growing population in the Arab world. CARES has established a WEF Nexus lab that makes use of the sunny weather in Egypt to generate electricity to power a modern hybrid desalination unit for salt and brackish water. Through reverse osmosis membrane technology, the desalinated water is used by aquaponics for modern drip irrigation in agriculture. The brine (byproduct) is utilized to produce fish. The idea is to use the sun to produce energy and then to use this energy to prepare the water for agriculture. The water is flown through irrigation systems that use the water as efficiently as possible for food production. This system will be zero-waste and have zero environmental impacts while still being economically profitable. 

There is a third solar array on campus located above a parking lot and provides a portion of power to the Center for Applied Research on the Environment and Sustainability (CARES)