Renewable energy firm Ameresco has announced a partnership with St. John’s College in Santa Fe, New Mexico to execute a comprehensive solar and energy efficiency project.
Under the agreement, Ameresco will undertake several phases of work to renovate infrastructure facilities and identify energy-saving opportunities.
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The project will involve the installation of 1,670 solar panels and 20 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across four campus parking lots. The solar panels will use an innovative grid-connected photovoltaic design that links the energy generated to the local utility grid, allowing St. John's College to store and utilize power as required.
Already completed upgrades include LED lighting retrofits throughout the campus, rooftop HVAC retrofits and re-roofing on three buildings, replacements of boiler and air handling units, as well as upgrades to water infrastructure in the dormitories.
According to Ameresco, these upgrades will help St. John’s College reduce its carbon footprint by 858 metric tons, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 167 homes or 96,530 gallons of gasoline consumed, resulting in over $100,000 in annual cost savings.
The project was made possible through funding from St. John’s College Santa Fe’s Class of 2019 senior gift, which covered the cost of an energy audit of the campus.
"The implementation of these sustainable solutions ensures that our campus facilities and student offerings fit the culture we’ve built our institution on,” said Mark Roosevelt, President of St. John’s College Santa Fe. “I’m thrilled that we’re incorporating innovative technologies into our campus design and entering into a new era of environmental responsibility.”
St. John’s College is one of the nation’s oldest higher education institutions and also has a campus in Maryland. It is the successor of the original King William’s School established in the 17th century.
Massachusetts-based Ameresco has worked on decarbonization projects at numerous colleges and universities nationwide. One nearby project recently completed was energy efficiency and renewable installments at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology.
