The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) and Texas-based developer Vesper Energy have cut the ribbon on the Gaucho Solar project. Built on 68 acres near Pittsburgh International Airport, the 20 megawatt project features about 55,000 panels and is one of the largest solar arrays in Western Pennsylvania.
Through a power purchase agreement with Vesper Energy, the university will receive 100% of the project’s energy and environmental attributes over the next 20 years. It is expected to provide approximately 18% of the campus’ electricity usage per year, helping Pitt achieve its carbon-neutrality goal by 2037.
Furthermore, the project is slated to cut Pitt’s greenhouse gas emissions by 15,452 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, the equivalent of taking nearly 3,330 gasoline-fueled cars off the road. Combined with future committed use of local hydropower, at least 42% of the university’s future electricity will come from dedicated, local, renewable energy sources.
The Gaucho Solar project is also expected to save Pitt millions of dollars over the contract term due to solar’s low comparative cost. According to Vesper Energy, the ability to directly purchase clean energy will generate long-term cost and environmental savings, require no upfront capital or maintenance costs from Pitt, and give the university price certainty throughout the contract.
“The University of Pittsburgh is fully committed to achieving carbon neutrality for our Pittsburgh campus by 2037, with our current and future renewable electricity commitments getting us over one-third of the way there,” said Aurora Sharrard, Pitt’s executive director of sustainability. “We are very excited that Vesper’s Gaucho Solar facility is the newest and largest renewable asset to-date contributing to the university’s goals of producing or procuring 100% of our electricity from renewables by 2037.”
Notably, Pitt students had learning opportunities throughout the solar project’s construction process, and the facility will be incorporated into the school’s curriculum. The project’s pollinator-friendly landscaping also has an important environmental impact beyond the site, improving water quality, reducing erosion, and creating critical habitat and food for birds, bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects.
More information about Pitt’s sustainability goals is available here.
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