Tufts installed a new solar panel system on the roof of Dowling Hall at the end of last April as part of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center's Solarize Massachusetts (Solarize Mass) Medford program, which aims to broaden the usage of small-scale solar electricity systems in cities across Massachusetts.
Director of Facilities Technical Services and Tufts Energy Manager Betsy Isenstein explained that Tufts decided to participate in the Solarize Mass campaign to support the City of Medford's efforts to use solar energy, encourage renewable energy development and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
"We are always exploring new possibilities for energy improvements as well as cost-effective renewable energy projects," Isenstein told the Daily in an e-mail.
The 99kw solar array, which is made up of 304 solar panels, will provide 125,000 kWh of renewable power for the university.
Although the solar panel system was supposed to be installed last January, the actual installation was not finalized until April because of the exceptional amount of snow on campus last winter, according to Isenstein.
“Due to the university’s policy of no people on a roof if there is snow coverage, we had to wait until all of the snow was off,” Raffin said. “I was truly impressed how swiftly Tufts was able to move to make a complex project go forward in a relatively short period of time.”
Isenstein explained that Dowling Hall proved to be an ideal location for the system.
"Tufts has many roofs, but not that many are suitable for solar installations," Isenstein said. "Dowling is well suited — it is not shaded by trees or other buildings ... [there are] plenty of open spaces for the panels, the building structure is able to handle additional weight, the roof is flat ... and large enough."
Sophomore Nikhil Nandagopal, an Eco-Rep for South Hall, said that Solarize Mass encourages more residents in the community to install solar panels and begin using solar energy.
Tufts' participation in the program will lower prices for solar development in Medford due to Solarize Mass's tiered pricing structure that lowers prices as more homes and businesses sign up, according to Isenstein.
According to the company's website, a community first selects a solar installation company with five tiers of pricing, and then home or business owners can directly purchase the solar panel systems or agree to a lease or power purchase agreement with the designated company.
The 2011 and 2012 Solarize Mass' initiative led to over 900 residents and business owners signing contracts to install over 5.6 megawatts of renewable solar electricity in over 21 communities, according to the website.
Medford representatives selected SunBug Solar LLC, a Somerville-based company that specializes in solar energy installation and consulting, as the designated installer for the program in the city, according to Solarize Mass' website.
"Because Tufts decided to procure this project using a power purchase agreement, SunBug retained a third party owner to fund and own the project and sell the energy to Tufts over a 15-year term," SunBug Solar's Vice President of Commercial Business Lisa Raffin (E '85) told the Daily in an email.
This agreement will provide Tufts with a stable and predictable price of electricity over 15 years for a portion of the electricity that it purchases, according to Isenstein.
Raffin explained that the design process for the system included an evaluation of the building's structural soundness, a review of the roof's condition and an assessment of the proposed system's effectiveness.
She added that after the preliminary evaluation, SunBug determined the size, photovoltaic (PV) modules, inverter technology and cost of the system. It then completed a final layout of the PV modules and completed the design with electrical engineering and a structural analysis.
An online system dashboard on the Tufts Facilities website was completed this August that allows any interested person to remotely track the activity of the solar panels for inspection, Isenstein added.
Nandagopal said that he hopes that Tufts will consider more widespread use of solar panels in the future.
