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, 2022

On-site Solar Generation Capacity: 24.2 MWdc equivalent.1
On-site Solar kWh Equivalent FY 2022: 36,424,727 kWh.1
On-site Solar Systems: 90.
On-site PV Panels Installed: 80,633.
On-site CPV Modules Installed: 8,652.
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, 2022

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 2022: 68,692,557.
 

Downtown Phoenix

Downtown Phoenix campus completed projects
Building/Facility Size (kWdc) Type FY 2022 Production (kWh)
Cronkite | KAET 8 77 Fixed PV 127,467
Health North 8 Solar Thermal 19,0625
Campus subtotal4 85   146,529

Polytechnic

Polytechnic campus completed projects
Building/Facility Size (kWdc) Type FY 2022 Production (kWh)
Ground Mount Tracker (2 sites) 802 SAT PV2 1,580,584
Sun Devil Fitness Complex 105 Solar Thermal 19,057
SunPower CPV Solar Plant2 1250 SAT CPV2 1,462,698
Campus subtotal4 2,157   3,062,339

Tempe 

Tempe campus completed projects
Building/Facility Size (kWdc) Type FY 2022 Production (kWh)
Barrett Honors College (9 sites) 157 Fixed PV 225,035
Biodesign Institute, Buildings A and B (2 sites) 151 Fixed PV 106,135
Bulldog Hall 224 Fixed PV 291,514
Business Administration 60 Fixed PV 98,584
Cady Mall 86 Fixed PV 288,121
Carson Student Athletic Center 71 Fixed PV 118,879
College of Design South 66 Fixed PV 109,593
Creativity Commons 64 Fixed PV 106,030
Coor Hall 108 Fixed PV 169,143
Cowden Family Resources 64 Fixed PV 87,759
Desert Financial Arena 497 Fixed PV 860,201
Discovery Hall 66 Fixed PV 105,086
Farmer Education Building 95 Fixed PV 127,545
Farrington Softball Stadium 251 Fixed PV 346,387
Fulton Parking Structure 386 SAT PV2 520,970
Gammage Parkway, East and West (2 sites) 495 Fixed PV 733,833
Goldwater Center 139 Fixed PV 232,967
Hassayampa Academic Village (10 sites) 119 Fixed PV 70,370
Hayden Library 249 Fixed PV 440,630
Health Services 69 Fixed PV 111,808
Interdisciplinary A&B 94 Fixed PV 105,037
Interdisciplinary Science and Technology I 57 Fixed PV 93,883
McCord Hall 89 Fixed PV 143,478
Music Building 94 Fixed PV 138,942
Noble Science Library 108 Fixed PV 133,533
Orange Mall, East and West (2 sites) 310 Fixed PV 291,981
Parking Lot 11 at Lyceum Theater 205 Fixed PV 303,264
Parking Lot 19 at ASU PD (2 sites) 267 Fixed PV 387,807
Parking Lot 41 at Armstrong Hall 224 Fixed PV 331,315
Parking Lot 45 at University Services (2 sites) 313 Fixed PV 523,723
Parking Lot 55 at University Center (2 sites) 1,053 Fixed PV 1,567,519
Parking Lot 58 at Desert Financial Arena 230 Fixed PV 372,914
Parking Lot 59 East at Sun Devil Sports Performance Center 166 Fixed PV 276,824
Parking Lot 59 at Rio Salado Parkway 2,124 Fixed PV 3,553,662
Parking Lot 59 South at ASU Arboretum 252 Fixed PV 389,845
Parking Structure 1 at Apache Boulevard 880 SAT PV2 941,921
Parking Structure 2 at Tyler Street 477 Fixed PV 838,933
Parking Structure 3 at 10th Street 220 Fixed PV 364,342
Parking Structure 4 at Rural Road (2 sites) 1,146 Fixed PV 1,629,064
Parking Structure 5 at Sun Devil Football Stadium 711 SAT PV2 443,511
Parking Structure 6 at University Towers 215 Fixed PV 340,687
Parking Structure 7 at Packard Drive 290 Fixed PV 512,536
Payne Hall 144 Fixed PV 216,207
Psychology North 74 Fixed PV 122,876
Schwada Classroom Office Building 92 Fixed PV 152,926
Student Pavilion 135 Fixed PV 144,029
Student Services 188 Fixed PV 314,871
Sun Devil Fitness Complex 1,389 Solar Thermal 1,568,818
Sun Devil Fitness Complex 24 DHW2 50,138
Sun Devil Fitness Complex 261 Fixed PV 438,783
Verde Dickey Dome 168 Fixed PV 207,994
Vista Del Sol Parking Structure 706 Fixed PV 995,793
Weatherup Center 141 Fixed PV 245,458
Wrigley Hall 23 Fixed PV 17,178
Campus subtotal4 16,287   23,310,382

West Valley

West Valley campus completed projects
Building/Facility Size (kWdc) Type FY 2022 Production (kWh)
Parking Lots 1, 2, and 3 2680 Fixed PV 4,519,515
Sun Devil Fitness Complex 105 Solar Thermal 9,987
Ground Mount Tracker 1926 SAT PV2 3,933,998
Campus subtotal4 4,711   8,463,500

ASU Research Park

ASU Research Park completed projects
Building/Facility Size (kWdc) Type FY 2022 Production (kWh)
MacroTechnology Works - Parking Lot Array 463 Fixed PV 251,875
MacroTechnology Works - Retention Basin 28 DAT CPV2 29,585
MacroTechnology Works - Rooftop Array 536 Fixed PV 1,160,517
ASU Research Park subtotal4 1,027   1,441,977

Off-site Renewables

APS Red Rock and SRP Central Line completed projects
Building/Facility Size (kWdc) Type ASU's Share Type ASU Share FY 2022 Production (kWh)
Red Rock Solar Field 28,800 SAT PV Fixed kWh 65,000,000 kWh 65,000,000
Central Line 4,875 SAT PV Percent of Production 3.90% 3,692,5576
Offsite subtotal4 28,800       68,692,557

_______________________________________________________________

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 Central Line Solar production is for a partial year, from startup in April 2022 to the end of the fiscal year on June 30, 2022.

Last update: May 2023.