Bard College
IN-1: Innovation 1

Development and planning for the solar project began in the Fall of 2012, with the College breaking ground in Summer 2013 on a phased construction of a 280kW-DC (~230kW-AC) ground-mount PV solar array, sited on campus grounds west of its athletic fields. Completed in Winter 2013, the array covers roughly an acre of land and is expected to generate about 330,000 kWh annually. For many institutions, dedicating limited land resources and funds to such a project can be a challenge, if not impossible. Bard is proud to have reached consensus across the institution’s governing bodies— economically, technically and aesthetically— to begin generating renewable energy on campus. Funded via a “pre-pay” Power Purchase Agreement, in addition to providing electrical supply at parity with grid prices, the array will help reduce the College's daytime power demand, especially during the summer months when power demands peak due to the air conditioning needs of buildings. The system is expected to operate for 25+ years.

The 280kW-DC system will produce about 330,000 kWh in electricity annually, and will help reduce the College's power demand, especially during the summer months when power demands increase due to air conditioning needs in buildings. The system is expected to operate for 25+ years. The solar array will be incorporated academically into various course modules, and furthermore will help to demonstrate the technology to the campus community and visiting public; showing how solar can be integrated nicely into a rural campus setting.