Jose Orozco
The Paw Print
Adams State College is turning green. If you haven’t noticed the newest addition to our sustainability efforts on campus, go check out Plachy Hall. New solar panels are in the process of being installed on the roof. The project is headed by the Namaste Solar Electric team and they have done a great job!
As of Friday, Oct. 14, the project team has issued a new status report. Currently all the required materials have been delivered and as of Oct. 17 the inverter pad has been poured and the inverter is due for installation. Several cranes have been in use to place the required materials on top of the roof. Just to let everyone know, Plachy is scheduled for shutdown on Oct. 23, from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. to deal with the construction.
The target date for the completion of installation is Nov. 4. The final inspection is targeted for Nov. 7 and the completion of the project is expected by the end of November. All the expected target dates have been met so far. The expected completion date should be met as well, unlike some other construction on campus. The project was started at the beginning of October and will only last about two months.
At the completion of the project it is expected that the system will generate about six percent of the power usage on campus. It is quite possible that the actual generation could well exceed the expected six percent. This is due to the fact that photovoltaic systems are about 20 percent more efficient in the San Luis Valley. This is because our climate is cooler, we have clearer skies, and average about 300-plus sunny days a year.
Bill Mansheim, the ASC vice president for Finance and Government relations, made the statement, “This $1.4 million solar project will produce an estimated 500 kWh of clean energy annually, roughly six percent of ASC’s annual consumption.” If you can, please send a thank you to Mansheim for his efforts in keeping our community clean and beautiful!
Photo by Jose Orozco: New solar panels are installed on Plachy Hall
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