Furman University
After nearly eight months of preparation and the installation of 2,994 solar panels, Furman University’s new $1.7 million solar facility has gone online and is supplying electrical power to the campus.
The solar farm, which is located on six acres of land near the main campus entrance on Poinsett Highway, is the largest solar installation on a college campus in South Carolina. The university announced its plans to construct the solar facility in August 2016.
“We flipped the switch last week and connected the solar farm to the electrical grid on campus,” said Jeff Redderson, Furman’s associate vice president for facility and campus services. “The additional solar power will reduce our campus-wide electricity expenditures by up to 5 percent annually and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 3 percent.”
The 743-kW solar photovoltaic (PV) array is also set up for net metering, which means any excess power it generates can be sold back to Duke Energy. Redderson estimated the reduced energy costs will bring a return on Furman’s investment in eight years.
“Furman takes its environmental responsibilities seriously, and we’re proud to be a leader in our sustainability programs and renewable energy systems,” said Furman President Elizabeth Davis. “In addition to increasing the university’s solar power production and reducing our energy costs, the new solar facility will serve as a laboratory for Furman students pursuing careers in sustainability. We are constantly working to become a more sustainable campus, and this project is another example of our commitment to that goal.”
Davis said the new solar installation will also help Furman reach its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2026, the year of the university’s bicentennial.
Duke Energy contributed to the project by providing Furman with a $997,000 solar rebate, one of the company’s largest to date. The company launched its rebate program in October 2015 to assist South Carolina customers with the cost of installing solar.