Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 66.74
Liaison Krista Bailey
Submission Date Oct. 20, 2014
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Pennsylvania State University
OP-9: Clean and Renewable Energy

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.00 / 4.00 Shelley McKeague
Environmental Compliance Specialist
Engineering Services
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Total energy consumption (all sources, transportation fuels excluded), performance year:
3,221,565 MMBtu

Clean and renewable energy from the following sources::
Performance Year
Option 1: Clean and renewable electricity generated on-site during the performance year and for which the institution retains or has retired the associated environmental attributes 48 MMBtu
Option 2: Non-electric renewable energy generated on-site 0 MMBtu
Option 3: Clean and renewable electricity generated by off-site projects that the institution catalyzed and for which the institution retains or has retired the associated environmental attributes 0 MMBtu
Option 4: Purchased third-party certified RECs and similar renewable energy products (including renewable electricity purchased through a certified green power purchasing option) 0 MMBtu

A brief description of on-site renewable electricity generating devices :

Penn State has three different solar arrays on campus:
The first is a 2 KW array that was installed in 2001. This array is thin film panels with a grid-tied inverter and is fixed roof mounted on our Physical Plant Building.
The second system is a 1.75 KW pole mounted array and uses passive tracking. It is installed on our Center for Sustainability greenhouse and is mono-crystalline silicon panels with a grid-tied inverter.
The third system is an 8 KW array which is roof mounted onto our MorningStar home, which was PSU's 2007 entry into the Solar Decathlon. This array is mono-crystalline silicon panels with a grid-tied inverter.
A new 5 KW system is planned for the Physical Plant Building roof to offset a vehicle charging station for electric cars purchased as part of a Reinvention Fund grant through the Sustainability Institute.


A brief description of on-site renewable non-electric energy devices:

not applicable


A brief description of off-site, institution-catalyzed, renewable electricity generating devices:

In 2013, Penn State entered into a 10-year power purchase agreement with Mahoning Creek Hydroelectric Company. This new 6MW hydroelectric generating plant was built in 2013 at the existing USACE dam on Mahoning Creek located in Armstrong County, PA. Penn State will purchase all of the net electric output from the facility and retain the environmental attributes. This is approximately 8% of the University Park campus’ electric purchase.


A brief description of the RECs and/or similar renewable energy products:

not applicable


The website URL where information about the institution's renewable energy sources is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
---

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.