UC San Diego Enacts Green Energy Initiatives (4.4 MW: PV and biogas fuel cells)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=53092

University of California, San Diego, a university that considers itself to be one of the nation's greenest college campuses, has begun construction on a sustainable energy program that it says is among the largest in the nation by a university.

The program, which includes solar, biogas fuel cells and wind energy, began with the first installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels from Borrego Solar atop a campus utility plant. When the solar portion of the project is complete, buildings and parking garages across the 1,200-acre campus next to the Pacific Ocean will feature solar panels with 2 megawatts (MW) of power capacity.

"This photovoltaic installation marks an historic event for a campus that has become a living laboratory for climate change solutions," said Steve Relyea, Vice Chancellor of Business Affairs. "Our sustainable energy program is the result of a campus-wide commitment by students, faculty and administration to advance environmental sustainability on a local, national and global level."

In addition to the solar photovoltaic project, UC San Diego will produce another 2.4 MW of energy from fuel cells powered by renewable methane. The methane fuel will be transported to UC San Diego from the Point Loma sewage treatment plant, where it is produced. Construction on this project will begin this fall. Not only does this produce green energy that replaces carbon-based energy, but it also removes pollutants from local air, since the methane is currently flared into the atmosphere at the sewage plant.

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