Solar Liberty is looking to install 1.4-megawatt solar panel project early next year at the State University of New York at Fredonia.

In 2018, the New York Power Authority in conjunction with SUNY Fredonia issued a request for proposal for a solar power system to be designed and installed on Fredonia State’s campus. In response, a local solar development and construction company proposed a 1.4-megawatt solar project.

“This will be the first (solar field) in SUNY schools,” said Michael Metzger, Vice President for Finance and Administration. “We are the model for it.”

The solar field will lay on the open, unused field along the north edge of the campus, adjacent to the NYS Thruway and the undeveloped parking lot adjacent to the baseball field, softball field and Brigham Road.

The panels in total will produce almost halfway over one megawatt. The electricity produced from this solar field will help to offset almost three million pounds of carbon dioxide. This is comparable to taking 279 cars off the road, powering 137 homes, or consuming almost 3,000 barrels of oil.

Some of the electricity produced by the solar panels will also be placed into a storage device. “We will not only be generating power,” said Metzger, “we’ll be storing it so that it can be used for emergency power systems.”

Metzger explained that the project won’t cost Fredonia anything besides the land the panels are being installed on. The panels will be maintained by their developer as well.

Construction of the solar project is expected to begin in early 2020, after all necessary agreements and approvals are complete. The project should be fully running by summer 2020.