Standard Solar has announced the start of construction on a solar canopy electricity installation at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA. The 118 kW project, which is slated to be completed by the end of the year, will be installed by Standard Solar, owned and operated by Secure Futures, LLC, and will supply the University with clean, renewable energy for at least the next 20 years.

Once complete, the solar canopy installation together with other solar arrays at the University, will comprise the largest solar installation in the state. The University's move to solar energy complements the numerous sustainability initiatives Washington and Lee has undertaken to date across its campus.

The canopy system is expected to generate 166,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually and will eliminate approximately 114 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) in its first year of operations, which is equivalent to planting 25 acres of trees.

"This is an important step for Washington and Lee as part of our continuing emphasis on sustainability," said Kenneth P. Ruscio, W and L's president. "This is another instance of how we are aligning our institutional practices with what we preach to our students about their duties as responsible citizens and their obligations to future generations."

"We're pleased to support W and L's sustainability goals by designing, owning and operating Virginia's largest solar PV project to date," said Dr. Anthony Smith, CEO of Secure Futures.

"We are honored to help Washington and Lee achieve its goals toward environmental responsibility. This commitment to solar energy puts the University at the forefront of a burgeoning movement toward greener, more sustainable campuses across the nation," said Scott Wiater, President, Standard Solar.

The system to be built atop an existing University parking structure includes 540 Sanyo-manufactured panels, and will feature a complete monitoring system for the PV facility that will collect live data from the solar panels, such as electricity generated, solar irradiance, PV cell temperature and ambient temperature.

All of the data will be accessible on a website that will display system photos, historical electricity production data, carbon offset equivalencies and custom reporting capabilities.

The system is made possible with financing through Secure Futures, LLC, with whom Washington and Lee has entered into a 20-year power-purchase agreement to buy the solar-generated electricity.