SOLAR LIGHTS HALLS OF LEARNING

A number of universities around the world are switching on to the benefits of solar power. With the large roof areas that many of these institutions have at their disposal it makes perfect sense, particularly for those in sunny climates. The University of Murcia in Southern Spain, for example, has set up another 2.5 MW installation for its own use, one of several on the energy-conscious campus. With 38 000 students, it is by far the biggest in the region. It is also well known for The Solar Race it holds every year in which all vehicles have to be 100% solar powered. The recent addition of 8,620 Canadian Solar CS6P-P panels also doubles as roofing on the University’s Espinardo Campus parking lot and provides very welcome shade, especially during the hot summer months. More than this it helps ensure the academic institutions supremacy as the largest single solar facility in Southern Spain. This follows a slightly different model to 6 different universities in the U.S. who are energized from a single 5 MW Canadian Solar plant in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Franklin & Marshal College, Drexel University, Eastern University, Marywood University, Millersville University, and Juniata College all draw power 20,000 Canadian Solar 290 Watt modules connected to the local grid. The solar energy system supplies approximately 7.5 million kilowatt hours per year of electricity, or enough to power 653 homes. The installation offsets 5,625 tons of emissions annually, the equivalent sequestration of 28,125 trees per year. "This is the greenest of the green—local jobs built fuel-free power that will last for decades," said Brent Beerley, Executive Vice President for Community Energy. And in the Middle East, a university in Jordan has chosen Canadian Solar to supply the 1.5 MW of PV modules it will use to turn its rooftops into a power plant. Blessed with more than its fair of sunlight, Jordan is the ideal location for large-scale energy projects of this nature. The installation at the university in Amman will be owned and managed by Kawar Energy, which focuses on delivering clean energy and other eco-friendly utility solutions to its clients in the region. "We made the decision to work with Canadian Solar on the largest solar power rooftop project in Jordan as we trust the quality and performance of its solar modules,” said Hanna Zaghloul, CEO of Kawar Energy. “We were also impressed by their track record of success in delivering modules to large scale solar power projects worldwide. These attributes make Canadian Solar a perfect fit for our project needs," he said. Dr. Shawn Qu, Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Solar, responded: "We are delighted to partner with Kawar Energy to supply our high efficiency modules to this project. Our quality and reliability makes Canadian Solar stand out from the competition, and we are pleased to win this important module deal in Jordan.” Canadian Solar will supply the Amman project with its high efficiency 72 cell CS6X-300P modules, which come with a 10-year material warranty and an impressive 25-year output performance guarantee. “Our products are built to perform over the long-term to ensure our customers enjoy maximum return on investment,” said Dr. Qu.