A 295-kW rooftop solar system is now producing power at Adelphi University in Long Island, New York. Along with its commercial operation, the school announced a new solar energy initiative for its 75-acre main campus.
Adelphi University commissioned a joint roof replacement and solar project on its Recreation and Sports Center. Greenskies Clean Energy
This solar system was built on Adelphi’s LEED-certified Center for Recreation and Sports, offsetting a portion of the facility’s energy usage. This is the latest sustainability project the school has implemented. The first dates back to a geothermal heating and cooling project that started operating in 2003, a previous 50-kW solar project on the campus library in 2011 and a 2 MW cogeneration plant in 2016.
“Smart growth and sustainable infrastructure are key priorities for Adelphi University, and this project aligns directly with those goals,” said Carol Ann Boyle, VP of campus operations. “Bringing more solar online is a major step toward Adelphi’s cleaner, more sustainable future.”
The project began with an unexpected setback when the sports center’s gymnasium roof failed prematurely. The original manufacturer is no longer in business, but the facility needed a roof replacement. Robert Shipley, Adelphi’s assistant VP for facilities management thought to replace the roof and add solar at the same time.
“We had to replace the roof, so the question became: How do we make the most of that investment?” Shipley said. “Pairing the new roof with solar gave us an opportunity to solve an immediate problem while doing something that will benefit Adelphi for years to come.”
SolarKal, a commercial solar advisory and marketplace firm, began working with Adelphi on the project in 2022.
“As a New Yorker with a personal connection to Adelphi, this has always felt like a hometown project to me,” said Neil Sharma, SolarKal co-founder and CCO. “After working toward it for years, it’s especially rewarding to see it come to life. We had the right partners, worked through the challenges, and ultimately delivered a great project with lasting value for Adelphi.”
Greenskies Clean Energy, a commercial solar developer, owner and operator, developed and constructed the 546-panel rooftop solar project and will own and operate the system under a power purchase agreement with Adelphi.
“Projects like this take close coordination from development through construction and interconnection,” said Carson Mislick, director of project delivery at Greenskies Clean Energy. “We’re proud to have worked alongside Adelphi and SolarKal to bring the project across the finish line and deliver a system that will support the University’s long-term sustainability goals.”
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