ASU Solar

Overview

Arizona State University has a comprehensive solar program responsible for over 53 MWdc equivalent solar generating capacity development from both on-site and off-site components. The on-site component extends to four campus locations and the ASU Research Park. The off-site component includes a major collaboration between ASU and Arizona Public Service at APS’s Red Rock, Arizona, site and between ASU and Salt River Project at the Central Line Solar site. The program includes both generating facilities that are owned by third parties and others owned by ASU.

The following provides a brief overview of the on-site and off-site components. For more information regarding individual installations, please use the “Select a location” drop-down menu to the upper right.

On-site Program Milestones as of June 30, 2023

On-site Solar Generation Capacity: 23.0 MWdc equivalent.1
On-site Solar kWh Equivalent FY 2023: 34,708,060 kWh.1
On-site Solar Systems: 89.
On-site PV Panels Installed: 80,633.
On-site Solar Collectors Installed: 1,013. 
On-site Shaded Parking Spaces: 5,952.
On-site Shaded Stadium Seats: 828.

ASU solar system installations on the Tempe, West Valley and Downtown Phoenix campuses are facilitated, in part, by APS's Renewable Energy Incentive Program. This program offers financial incentives to customers, such as ASU, who add renewable energy systems to their homes and businesses. The program is funded by APS customers and approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission.

Solar system installations on the Polytechnic campus and ASU Research Park are facilitated, in part, by Salt River Project's EarthWise Commercial Energy Incentive Program. This program offers financial incentives to customers, such as ASU, who add renewable energy systems to their business. The program is funded by SRP customers and approved by the Arizona SRP Board.

Off-site Program Milestones as of June 30, 2023

ASU has multiple collaborative projects with utilities in which the utilities have constructed and operates solar energy generating facilities within their service areas, and ASU has committed to purchase a portion of the total renewable power production at each site per year.  These sites and ASU’s portion of the generation are as detailed below.  Note that ASU’s share of Red Rock is a fixed number of kWh annually, while ASU’s share of Central Line is a percentage of total energy production.

Off-site Solar Generation Capacity: 33.7 MWdc.
Off-site Solar kWh FY 2023: 75,431,581.
 

Downtown Phoenix

Downtown Phoenix campus completed projects
Building/Facility Size (kWdc) Type FY 2023 Production (kWh)
Cronkite | KAET 8 77 Fixed PV 126,522
Health North 8 Solar Thermal 19,0625
Campus subtotal4 85   145,584

 

Polytechnic

Polytechnic campus completed projects
Building/Facility Size (kWdc) Type FY 2023 Production (kWh)
Ground Mount Tracker (2 sites) 802 SAT PV2 1,577,316
Sun Devil Fitness Complex 105 Solar Thermal 784
SunPower CPV Solar Plant2 1,2506 SAT CPV2 690,5296
Campus subtotal4 2,157   2,268,629

 

Tempe

Tempe campus completed projects
Building/Facility Size (kWdc) Type FY 2023 Production (kWh)
Barrett Honors College (9 sites) 157 Fixed PV 176,633
Biodesign Institute, Buildings A and B (2 sites) 151 Fixed PV 0
Bulldog Hall 224 Fixed PV 334,122
Business Administration 60 Fixed PV 86,871
Cady Mall 86 Fixed PV 280,978
Carson Student Athletic Center 71 Fixed PV 116,959
College of Design South 66 Fixed PV 108,192
Creativity Commons 64 Fixed PV 99,706
Coor Hall 108 Fixed PV 165,261
Cowden Family Resources 64 Fixed PV 92,675
Desert Financial Arena 497 Fixed PV 869,981
Discovery Hall 66 Fixed PV 102,698
Farmer Education Building 95 Fixed PV 151,747
Farrington Softball Stadium 251 Fixed PV 333,328
Fulton Center Parking Structure 386 SAT PV2 641,166
Gammage Parkway, East and West (2 sites) 495 Fixed PV 587,065
Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation 23 Fixed PV 13,884
Goldwater Center 139 Fixed PV 230,646
Hassayampa Academic Village (10 sites) 119 Fixed PV 152,365
Hayden Library 249 Fixed PV 437,369
Health Services 69 Fixed PV 94,761
Interdisciplinary A-B 94 Fixed PV 106,560
Interdisciplinary Science and Technology I 57 Fixed PV 99,816
McCord Hall 89 Fixed PV 139,911
Music Building 94 Fixed PV 142,254
Noble Science Library 108 Fixed PV 93,169
Orange Mall, East and West (2 sites) 310 Fixed PV 120,499
Parking Lot 11 at Lyceum Theater 205 Fixed PV 214,882
Parking Lot 19 at ASU PD (2 sites) 267 Fixed PV 340,028
Parking Lot 41 at Armstrong Hall 224 Fixed PV 326,838
Parking Lot 45 at University Services (2 sites) 313 Fixed PV 498,423
Parking Lot 55 at University Center (2 sites) 1,053 Fixed PV 1,409,026
Parking Lot 58 at Desert Financial Arena 230 Fixed PV 370,671
Parking Lot 59 East at Sun Devil Sports Performance Center 166 Fixed PV 276,258
Parking Lot 59 at Rio Salado Parkway 2,124 Fixed PV 3,565,620
Parking Lot 59 South at ASU Arboretum 252 Fixed PV 388,500
Parking Structure 1 at Apache Boulevard 880 SAT PV2 434,998
Parking Structure 2 at Tyler Street 477 Fixed PV 838,289
Parking Structure 3 at Myrtle Avenue 220 Fixed PV 346,115
Parking Structure 4 at Rural Road (2 sites) 1,146 Fixed PV 2,075,256
Parking Structure 5 at Mountain America Stadium 711 SAT PV2 335,484
Parking Structure 6 at University Towers 215 Fixed PV 329,462
Parking Structure 7 at Packard Drive 290 Fixed PV 510,020
Payne Hall 144 Fixed PV 220,024
Psychology North 74 Fixed PV 122,706
Schwada Classroom Office Building 92 Fixed PV 150,352
Student Pavilion 135 Fixed PV 141,988
Student Services 188 Fixed PV 303,777
Sun Devil Fitness Complex 1,389 Solar Thermal 2,063,594
Sun Devil Fitness Complex 24 DHW2 73,897
Sun Devil Fitness Complex 261 Fixed PV 431,504
Verde Dickey Dome 168 Fixed PV 194,212
Vista Del Sol Parking Structure 706 Fixed PV 746,382
Weatherup Center 141 Fixed PV 243,455
Campus subtotal4 16,287   22,730,377

 

West Valley

West Valley campus completed projects
Building/Facility Size (kWdc) Type FY 2023 Production (kWh)
Parking Lots 1, 2, and 3 2680 Fixed PV 4,438,015
Sun Devil Fitness Complex 105 Solar Thermal 0
Ground Mount Tracker 1926 SAT PV2 3,917,083
Campus subtotal4 4,711   8,355,098

 

ASU Research Park

ASU Research Park completed projects
Building/Facility Size (kWdc) Type FY 2023 Production (kWh)
MacroTechnology Works - Parking Lot Array 463 Fixed PV 559,704
MacroTechnology Works - Retention Basin 28 DAT CPV2 33,007
MacroTechnology Works - Rooftop Array 536 Fixed PV 819,057
ASU Research Park subtotal4 1,027   1,411,768

 

Off-site renewables

APS Red Rock and SRP Central Line completed projects
Building/Facility Size (kWdc) Type ASU's Share Type ASU Share FY 2023 Production (kWh)
APS Red Rock Solar Field 28,800 SAT PV Fixed kWh 65,000,000 kWh 65,000,000
SRP Central Line 4,875 SAT PV Percent of Production 3.90% 10,431,581
Offsite subtotal4 28,800       75,431,581

 

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1 “Solar kWh Equivalent” is defined as the kWh generated by the Solar PV structures and the conversion of MMBTUs to kWh for the Solar Thermal assets used at ASU.

2 CPV - Concentrated Photovoltaic, SAT - Single Axis Tracking System, DAT - Dual Axis Tracking system, DHW - Domestic Hot Water.

3 ASU sells most of the renewable energy credits (RECs) associated with its on-campus solar projects in order to help third parties meet their renewable energy goals and to help finance the construction of these projects; however, in order to meet its own sustainability goals, ASU purchases RECs from various renewable energy sources.

4 All production numbers are rounded up.

5 This value is estimated due to no metering availability at this location.

6 Polytechnic Sunpower output is a partial year because the system was decommissioned in March 2023.

Last update: March 2024.