Photovoltaic (PV)

Siting and Feasibility  |  Financing  |  Case Study  |  This is Just the Beginning...

Photovoltaics (PV) enable the direct conversion of sunlight into electricity [the process of converting light (photons) to electricity (voltage) is called the photovoltaic (PV) effect].  Some PV modules are integrated into the building components, such as roofing and wall glazings (these are often referred to as building-integrated photovoltaics), but most are comprised of PV panels.  PV modules are made out of materials similar to those used in computer chips. When sunlight is absorbed by the PV component, electrons flow through this chip-like material to produce electricity.

PV panel installations are often the renewable installation of choice for many colleges because they are inexpensive compared to many other technologies.  Because panels are modular, initial installations can be small and easily expanded as time and finance allow. 

PV technologies are changing more rapidly than any other renewable energy technology.  When conducting a PV feasibility study, spend a little time researching new PV applications before choosing a system. 

Siting

A PV installation site must be south or southwest facing to maximize production, as well as shade-free. Ideal sites are also located close to an electric meter.  Panels can be either ground mounted or installed on roof-tops.  Rooftop installation minimizes the potential for vandalism, but require that the roof can withstand the weight of an installation. Your roof will need to undergo a structural assessment. Roof installations are discouraged for buildings that have not undergone energy efficiency retrofits, and your roof must at least a 20-year lifespan. PV installations are also good solutions for localized energy needs.  PV panels can power trash compactors, outdoor lights, and outdoor signage – campus equipment that might otherwise require a generator or grid connection.

The next step:  The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Leading by Example program has created a Solar Site Assessment guide. Complete the survey to see if PV is right for your campus: Click here for the survey document..

Financing

Solar PV panels have a higher cost per kilowatt hour than many other technologies (a typical commercial solar cell has an efficiency of 15 percent because only one-sixth of the sunlight that hits the panel is turned into electricity), however, there are also many financing incentives for PV installations.  These incentives make PV installations one of the most economically efficient renewable choices for most campuses.

MTC’s Commonwealth Solar program provides funding for many PV projects.  Go to www.masstech.org/solar for more information. If you are applying from a Massachusetts Public College, contact the Massachusetts Inter-Agency team for application help. Go to the Massachusetts state government site to download the renewable funding guide.

Selling RECs from the electricity produced by a PV array will help defray installation costs.

In the past, the federal CREB program has financed a number of PV installations. 

Case Study

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Venable Hall was an ideal site for a solar installation because of its sunny location and visibility to the campus community. Venable Hall’s 9-kilowatt PV system, comprised of 30 solar modules, was manufactured by RWE, a Massachusetts solar technology manufacturer.  The installation was designed and installed by the Conservation Services Group. 

MCLA uses the electricity produced by the PV system in its campus buildings, and perhaps more
importantly, as an onsite pedagogical resource for students studying renewable energy.
The Center for Ecological Technology (CET) coordinated the installation using funds from the MTC Renewable Energy Trust and $400,000 from a U.S. Department of Energy grant.

MCLA President Mary Grant: “In addition to realizing energy savings, the panels will serve as a valuable educational resource - teaching students about the performance of solar electricity in the Northeast, providing research opportunities, and stimulating discussion about environmental policy implications of energy use. We appreciate the great support from Congressman John Olver and the members of the Berkshire County Legislative Delegation.” Photo: Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Environmental
Studies students studying the Veneble Hall installation. 

The Massachusetts Maritime Academy powers its trash compactors with a small pv panels.  These compactors save MMA money and greenhouse gas emissions by reducing trash pick-ups and trips to the dump.   

This is Just the Beginning…:

Bristol Community College installed a real-time data monitoring system on its PV array.  Students in environmental studies courses monitor the system's output in real time.

More and more schools in Massachusetts are teaching solar panel installation and design courses.  CCCC offers a certificate in PV installation.  Greenfield Community College offers courses in PV and is an authorized provider of NABCEP solar installer certification. 

Mount Wachusett Community College is currently installing a 100kW solar array.  One of the installation’s panel will remain off-line so that it can be disassembled as part of MWCC’s solar technology courses. 

Find out more about MCLA’s solar panel installation partner, the Center for Ecological Technology, at www.cetonline.org Established in 1976, CET, a non-profit organization, provides residents, businesses and communities with the tools to make it easy and affordable to carry out our daily lives in a more environmentally sound manner.

MCLA’s panels were installed by the Conservation Services Group www.csgrp.com.