Namasté Solar installs largest rooftop solar array in downtown Denver on Auraria Campus

Namasté Solar, an employee-owned Colorado solar electric company and Certified B Corporation headquartered in Boulder,  announced the completion of the installation of a 779 kW solar array atop the Auraria Library at Auraria Campus in Denver, Colorado.

The installation, which will power two-thirds of the Auraria Library’s electricity needs, is the largest single-roof solar array in downtown Denver, according to Minneapolis based utility Xcel Energy.

The solar array was installed by the Auraria Sustainable Campus Program (ASCP),  in partnership with the Auraria Higher Education Center (AHEC), the Colorado state entity that serves as the umbrella organization for the Auraria Campus, and Namasté Solar.

The 2,100 panel array will produce approximately 1 million kWh annually–or enough energy to power 100 average US homes each year. It will supply 2.5% of the annual campus-wide power consumption, increasing the Auraria Campus solar capacity tenfold to 854 kW.

The array will also play a big role in lowering Auraria Campus greenhouse gas emissions by saving an estimated 1.2 million pounds of CO2 from entering the atmosphere each year. Additionally, the energy savings from this project will help increase the ASCP’s annual funding by 10-15% and allow for other impactful projects on campus.

Colleen Walker, AHEC CEO said.

“Auraria Campus is fortunate to be situated in one of the most solar-friendly climates in the country and the new solar array reinforces our ongoing commitment to renewable energy initiatives on campus,”

Chris Herr, the Sustainability Officer for the Auraria Campus said:

“This is a huge win for the Auraria Campus and the ASCP. Our students and staff have worked so hard to make this a reality. We’re really proud of this project and we’re excited to keep making meaningful progress in this community”

ASCP Sustainability Coordinator Jackie Slocombe said:

“We’re inspired by the tremendous effort the city, county, and state is making to transition to a clean energy economy and we’re thrilled to be able to significantly contribute to the greening of our local grid,”

Eliot Abel, director of commercial project development at Namasté Solar said:

“The solar energy from this system will benefit the Denver community. With projects like this, Denver residents will benefit from improved air quality thanks to clean, emission-free energy.”

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Source: Press Release by Auraria Higher Education Center (AHEC) and Namasté Solar. Photo credit: © Namasté Solar.