Northeastern University turns on 157.8-kW solar array at Boston campus

Ameresco has completed a 157.8-kW solar installation at Northeastern University’s Boston campus. The project is atop the University’s landmark Snell Library building and was officially commissioned on March 13.

As Northeastern University embarks on environmentally responsible strategies to decarbonize its campus, the Snell Library Rooftop Solar Installation is an important milestone in a series of building and energy investments to support the University’s sustainability goals. Centered downtown, the University’s Boston campus serves as a thoroughfare for the city’s vibrant communities including the neighborhoods of Back Bay, Fenway, Roxbury, and the South End. In an ode to the campus’s unique urban profile, the Snell Library Rooftop Solar Installation represents an innovative use case for urban on-grid solar PV integration and highlights the immense potential for clean and renewable energy to transform the very fabric of cities while supporting community sustainability goals.

“This solar installation represents a key milestone on Northeastern University’s path to decarbonization, and Ameresco is honored to be a partner with the University on their journey,” said Pete Christakis, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the East Region at Ameresco. “Given Northeastern University’s global prominence as a leading research university, this project will serve as a model for how organizations can make sustainability goals a reality by leveraging the versatility, cost-effectiveness, and longevity of renewable sources of energy. This installation also speaks to the value the University places on engaging its communities of student and staff who everyday work, learn, and connect in the landmark Snell Library.”

“Northeastern has made significant progress reducing the carbon intensity of our buildings,” said Leah Bamberger, Executive Director of Northeastern’s Climate Justice and Sustainability Hub. “This project comes at an important time as we are developing plans to fully decarbonize our buildings and eliminate harmful emissions.”

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