Energizing Initiative
Ohio Wesleyan Begins Installing Solar Panels, Wildflower Gardens
More than 10,400 solar panels are being installed on the Ohio Wesleyan University campus in ground-mounted arrays and parking lot canopies beginning this summer.
Once the system is operational in October 2027, it is projected to produce 8.2 million kilowatt-hours of clean energy annually, enabling OWU to reduce carbon emissions for electrical power consumption by approximately 82%.
'A Better World'
"Ohio Wesleyan is doing more than creating a better university," President Matt vandenBerg said in announcing the solar initiative, "we're leveraging the university to create a better world."
The project has been in the planning and preparation stages for nearly a year and a half, with a committee of Bishops working to determine its parameters, including the optimal sites for solar panels. The committee includes professors Laurel Anderson (Biological Sciences), Kristina Bogdanov (Fine Arts), Will Georgic (Economics & Business), John Krygier (Environment & Sustainability), and Nathan Rowley (Environment & Sustainability), along with Brian Rellinger, associate provost, and Daren Lehman, senior director of facilities.
Flower Power, Too!
Lehman is currently collaborating with project partner GRP|WEGMAN of Bethalto, Illinois, on the solar panel installation. Workers will add 4,845 ground-mounted panels and 5,565 parking lot canopy panels across campus. Ground-mount installation covering 5.2 acres is set to begin July 20, with carport canopy installation in seven OWU parking lots scheduled to begin this fall.
To reduce mowing, add visual interest, and support pollinators, wildflower gardens will be planted at all of the ground-mounted sites, with one of the largest gardens surrounding the back and sides of the Meek Aquatics and Recreation Center off South Henry Street.
The wildflower gardens likely will take repeated seed plantings and mowings to get them established, Lehman said. They will feature a "Midwest mix" of plants (including coneflowers, cornflowers, coreopsis, and prairie cloves) that prioritizes low-maintenance Ohio native species.
A Valuable Laboratory
After all of the solar panels are in place, Ohio Wesleyan will request that American Electric Power integrate the campus array into its power grid. That process occurs only once and only after all installation work is finished.
Ohio Wesleyan's solar project – the most ambitious such initiative in Ohio higher education – will bring a state-of-the-art 6-megawatt solar photovoltaic system and a 2-megawatt energy battery storage facility to campus. In addition to generating clean energy, the system will provide both backup power capabilities and energy load-shifting opportunities to maximize efficiency.
The University paid no out-of-pocket costs for the solar project, instead utilizing an innovative public-private partnership that enables OWU to buy its electricity at the most competitive market price. If the system ever produces more power than the campus needs, the excess energy can be transferred to AEP in exchange for credit on future electricity purchases.
When Ohio Wesleyan begins using the clean energy next year, Lehman said an online dashboard will allow everyone to see how much of the university it is powering at all times.
The solar initiative also will create hands-on learning opportunities for students in renewable energy, sustainability, engineering, and advanced technology.
A Bright Future
"The long-term environmental benefits of this project are significant," Lehman said. "By producing millions of kilowatt-hours of renewable electricity on campus, the solar microgrid will dramatically reduce the university's reliance on fossil-fuel-generated power (creating) a cleaner, more resilient energy future for Ohio Wesleyan."
Learn more about the initiative at owu.edu/solar.