Renu Energy Solutions has announced a new solar installation at the Johnson C. Smith University’s (JCSU) Sustainability Village in Charlotte.
The team has installed a solar array at the 8,600ft2 greenhouse at the university. This greenhouse features a hydroponic garden and aquaponic facility. The array of 56 modules is 17.92 kW DC. The installation is expected to go live later in 2022 and provide 23,750 kWh of energy its first year, which is equivalent to 18.5 metric tons of CO2.
It is expected that the installation will produce almost 100% of the energy required to power the greenhouse gradually.
“The purpose behind Sustainability Village is to create a living lab experience to promote experiential training, research and community engagement opportunities for our students,” said Dr. Mark Dugo, Assistant Professor of Ecology and Director of The Center for Renewable Energy & Sustainability at JCSU. “Through facilitating our efforts to power our greenhouse entirely from clean energy, Renu has supported us in exemplifying what sustainability looks like to the greater community.”
The project, made possible by Charlotte Motor Speedway and incentives by Duke Energy Incentives, is part of a broader initiative by JCSU to foster teaching of sustainable development, community food systems and alternative lifestyles that lead to a greener community.
“The purpose behind Sustainability Village is to create a living lab experience to promote experiential training, research and community engagement opportunities for our students,” said Dr. Mark Dugo, Assistant Professor of Ecology and Director of The Center for Renewable Energy & Sustainability at JCSU. “Through facilitating our efforts to power our greenhouse entirely from clean energy, Renu has supported us in exemplifying what sustainability looks like to the greater community.”
