Rutgers Solar Canopy

Rutgers University is committed to renewable and sustainable energy as it propels toward its goal of carbon neutrality by 2040. This is the first major sustainability roll out at Rutgers University and will generate 18 GWh of energy to the campus on 16 different solar canopies. The university had no initial upfront cost to this project due to the project being financed through a power purchasing agreement (PPA).

This PPA allows DSD Renewables to design, build, own, and operate these solar carports for 15 years. During this 15-year agreement the power generated from these carports will be purchased by Rutgers Division of Institutional Planning and Operations (IP&O) at a significantly discounted rate compared to the local utility . The parking lots around campus provided a great opportunity to design a solar canopy to economically save space around campus, create shaded areas for heat island areas, and to provide cover from snow and precipitation in the winter months in the Northeast.

Hot-dip galvanizing gave the owner the ability to save money on maintenance cost years down the road compared to other coating systems. Another factor that impacted the decision to choose hot-dip galvanizing was the sustainability of the coating as well as the ability to coat the material quickly to meet project deadlines.