In a news release, officials say the power plant would generate much of the energy used to power the school’s largest athletic facilities.
The 1,300-kilowatt system, to be built partially on former Brunswick Naval Air Station land acquired by the college, would be supplemented by the installation of solar panels on the roofs of Bowdoin’s largest athletic facilities.
Communications Director Scott Hood said the Board of Trustees met Friday afternoon to review the proposal, which is contingent on its approval.
Hood said board approval is the only the first hurdle. Local, state and federal approvals also will be required — including approval from the U.S. Department of Education, which conveyed the Navy land to Bowdoin.
The proposed project would be a collaboration between the college and SolarCity Corp., headquartered in San Mateo, Calif.
Under the proposal, SolarCity would finance, build, own and maintain the solar installations on college property, with Bowdoin purchasing all generated power.
The proposed multimillion dollar solar installation would be expected to generate approximately 1.6 million kilowatt hours of electricity, offsetting about 8 percent of Bowdoin’s annual electricity usage.
“Our college is proud to propose this significant investment in clean and renewable solar energy,” Bowdoin College President Barry Mills said in a statement. “Partnership with SolarCity reduces Bowdoin’s dependence on fossil fuels and makes sense for the college economically. It also provides meaningful educational opportunities for students and faculty focused on alternative energy and sustainability, and underscores Bowdoin’s continuing commitment to the responsible stewardship of our environment.”
The proposal calls for approximately 600-kW of solar power capacity to be installed on the roofs of Farley Field House and Watson Arena, part of Bowdoin’s athletics complex located just south of the central campus. An additional 700-kW installation would be constructed on ground-mounted panels on three acres of the more than 127-acres of land recently acquired by Bowdoin at the former Brunswick Naval Air Station less than a mile from campus.
“This is an important step forward for renewable energy in Maine and I am pleased to see Bowdoin College taking such an environmental leadership position,” said Everett “Brownie” Carson, former executive director of the Natural Resources Council of Maine, a Bowdoin alumnus and a resident of Harpswell. “I hope this project inspires others to make significant investments in renewables in the state.”
Bowdoin said its solar power initiative is the latest effort to support renewable energy and efficiency at the Brunswick campus.
Earlier projects include the installation of a cogeneration steam turbine in the central heating plant and the installation of solar thermal panels on the roof of Thorne Dining Hall and the Schwartz Outdoor Leadership Center.
Bowdoin College had made a commitment to achieve “carbon neutrality” by 2020.
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