ASU Solar

Overview

Arizona State University has a comprehensive solar program responsible for over 53 MW_dc 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 MW_dc 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.
 

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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.