Colby College
IN-26: Innovation C

Colby has partnered with NRG Energy, Inc. to install a 1.9 MW, 5,500 panel solar array on Colby property adjacent to campus, which will meet 16% of Colby's total electricity needs. Economic analysis determined that this investment will yield little to no financial benefit to the College, however Colby's Board of Trustees recognized the importance of investing in renewables and increasing the renewable mix of the local energy grid in order to reduce the need to get energy from fossil fuels. Thus, there is no net benefit to Colby, as the College is still buying electricity from NRG Energy, Inc. through the solar panels, however the panels have given more visibility to renewables and decreased the use of fossil fuels in the local energy grid. Further, this will be an innovative opportunity for research on large scale solar arrays in Maine, and to engage the local community's interest in renewables, since the panels have visibility from the highway and are located along a main road. The array came online in September 2017 and has produced over 2.5 million kWh to date. Colby has entered into a long-term power purchase agreement with NRG and will purchase 100% of the electricity generated, which feeds into the campus grid behind the meter. Colby has also retained all of the RECs associated with the electricity.