The ground-mount installation, seen in this rendering, is one of two solar systems currently under construction at ASU's West campus.
Wake up, West campus. The noise you may be hearing is the sound of progress and the color of green. It is also the next step in the installation of two separate solar power systems, a project that is sweet music to a numerologist’s ears.
Consider the ASU project at 4701 West Thunderbird Road:
· 2 systems – parking canopies in West lots 1, 2 and 3; ground mounted on the west side of campus between North 51st and North 49th Avenues;
· 1,976.4 – number of kilowatts that will be generated by the ground mount photovoltaic project (not to mention approximately 3,834,216 kilowatt hours per year);
· 7,320 – number of Suntech STP 270 modules featured in the ground mount system (plus four 500-kW Satcon inverters);
· 1 – Watsun tracking system will be used in the ground mount installation;
· 2,705.3 – number of kilowatts that will be generated by the fixed, 10-degree solar parking canopies in the three adjoining lots (not to mention approximately 3,841,668 kilowatt hours generated per year, which is the equivalent to the electricity consumed annually by 300 “average” Arizona homes!);
· 6,052,757 – number of pounds of carbon dioxide offset annually by the parking canopies system;
· 10,020 – number of Suntech STP 270 modules that comprise the parking lots system (plus five 500-kW Satcon inverters).
The two solar power systems rising from the West campus mark a significant contribution toward ASU achieving a zero-carbo footprint by the year 2025.
About the noise you may be hearing: Beginning Mon., June 28, at 10 a.m., APS Energy Services, as part of the ongoing solar installation, will begin driving 5-inch steel pylons in the area northwest of the Las Casas residence halls. This construction activity requires the use of a large pneumatic ram and will likely be audible to the residents in the area. This activity will take place daily from 6 a.m. – 4 p.m., Mon. – Fri., for approximately 3 weeks.