Photo by Maddie Kauffman

One of Elizabethtown College’s unique features is its solar array. A solar array is an electrical device that consists of a large arrangement of solar cells. These solar cells convert solar energy from the sun into usable electrical energy.

The College has the largest solar array system of any higher education institution in the state of Pennsylvania. It is located across the street from the Schreiber Quadrangle, and it spans a total of 10 acres of the College’s campus.

Dedicated in 2016, the solar array was built in partnership with Community Energy, a Pennsylvania-based renewable energy developer.

The array produces 3,567,000 kWh of energy annually, which accounts for over 20 percent of Etown’s annual energy consumption.

The power produced in the array enables a 6,000,000-pound reduction of CO2 each year. It also produces the equivalent amount of energy needed to power over 330 residential houses each year.

Work is currently being done to repair the solar array field from damage sustained in January 2016 due to Winter Storm Jonas, which severely impacted the East Coast and caused historic snowfalls in several Northeast cities, including Harrisburg. Specifically, three feet of snow fell over the Elizabethtown area.
Since that time, however, the solar array system has continued to operate without any issues regarding production and performance.

The procedure for the repairs taking place will be as follows: First, the panels and racking will be disconnected and removed, while the existing posts remain in the ground. Next, the new posts will be installed beside the existing ones, and a new racking structure will be installed on the new posts. Finally, the existing solar panels will be reinstalled on the new rack.

Head of Facilities Management Mark Zimmerman said that the storm has not negatively impacted the performance of the array. He explained that the repairs being done at this point in time will ensure that no future snow loads or winter storms will weaken the structures that support the solar panels on the array.

These repairs will most likely last through November depending on winter weather conditions. The contractor will partially shut down the solar array system in sections in order to keep power flowing as much as possible.

However, at times the system will need to be completely shut down for work safety purposes. The operator of the solar array is responsible for its upkeep, repairs and electricity production, so the work being done will not impact the College.

Zimmerman also mentioned that some repairs were done in spring 2016 on the posts and racking due to Winter Storm Jonas, but the rest of the repairs were postponed until material could be acquired.

Another issue was scheduling contractors to do these repairs since they are busy with installations and maintenance to other solar array systems.

“The College has been generally pleased with the operation of the system and the sustainable power it generates,” Zimmerman said.

The solar array is not the College’s only sustainability effort. The Building Automation System has resulted in large energy and cost savings by monitoring the amount of energy that buildings on campus use.

Projects have been done to reduce flooding, remove runoff and sustain ecosystems in Lake Placida.