University of Buffalo Advances Climate Goals with New Solar Arrays, Aiming for Climate Neutrality by 2030.

The University of Buffalo (UB) has installed five ground-mount solar arrays and four rooftop installations in an effort to achieve climate neutrality by 2030. The largest and most recent array, the Solar Stroll, is located on 24.5 acres on the University campus and produces 6.54 MW of electricity or 8.29 GWh annually, equivalent to offsetting the usage of approximately 1,354 homes. The Solar Strolling and its predecessor, Solar Strand, have become models for integrating solar into the landscape and are now used by clubs, school groups and community organizations. Ryan McPherson, chief sustainability officer, played a lead role in the solar projects and credits non-profit organization, Second Nature, for their assistance. The University is now using two different models of power purchase agreements; a virtual PPA that goes out to the meter and a physical one that is behind the meter.