New solar installations distributed across the University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor, Flint and Dearborn campuses will have a total capacity of 25 megawatts of renewable electricity after a three-year installation process is complete.
The electricity generated — enough to power about 3,000 homes — will feed directly into U-M buildings rather than going back into the regional power grid and will work toward the university’s goal of eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from purchased electricity, known as Scope 2 emissions.
The installations also will contribute to the energy resilience and climate action goals of the city of Ann Arbor.
Along with new off-site, Michigan-based renewable-power purchase agreements, the installations will allow the university to achieve its Scope 2 emissions goal within an estimated two years.
The solar installations will be constructed in phases. Initial locations will be on the tops of existing parking areas and large rooftops, where installations will cause minimal disruption. Other locations will be assessed over time.
The first installation phase will begin in 2025 with facilities services buildings on the perimeter of the Ann Arbor campus before moving to higher-use campus locations. By the end of that year, the university expects to have more than 10 megawatts of power online in Ann Arbor.
The full project will span three years, with installations at UM-Dearborn and UM-Flint in later phases.
The project demonstrates one part of the university’s broad commitment to carbon neutrality and modernizing its energy infrastructure with resilient technologies that better serve communities, said Shana Weber, associate vice president for campus sustainability.
“In addition to moving the university closer to demonstrating repeatable and scalable approaches to climate action, we seek to deepen an immersive educational and research experience that advances innovation and builds high-impact partnerships,” Weber said.
She described the overarching approach as one that strives to cultivate the campus and community as a living learning lab across all climate action initiatives.
The solar installations are part of the university’s Campus Plan 2050, which was released Sept. 30 and guides comprehensive campus development for the next 25 years. The effort also reflects the commitment of the university’s Vision 2034 “Climate Action, Sustainability and Environmental Justice” impact area.
“Sourcing our electricity from Michigan-based renewable sources is only one piece of the solution,” said Kim Kiernan, co-interim associate vice president for facilities and operations. “By connecting to the larger campus plan, and to the pillars of the university’s Vision 2034, physical systems will work together with programmatic goals to advance exciting initiatives.”
“When combined with other investments in building electrification, including geo-exchange and heat pump systems for heating and cooling, sustainable building methods, transit infrastructure improvements and more, we move closer to realizing a resilient, innovative, livable community that is a go-to leader in responsiveness to global needs,” Weber said.
The university says the upfront investments in making this transition will provide long-term benefits, including improved energy resilience, reduced financial risk due to volatile fuel markets, reputational leadership, educational and research opportunities, and reduced operating costs.
