CWU completes Dugmore Hall solar panel installation with help from an alum

As part of Central Washington University’s comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CAP), the entirety of the Ellensburg campus is being assessed for solar viability.

Now that all of the available structures and properties have been identified, a campus-wide solar development plan is in the works  to help CWU lower our overall carbon footprint.

Earlier this month, crews completed the installation of a 100-kilowatt solar array on the roof of Dugmore Hall, CWU’s newest residence hall.

CWU Sustainability Officer Jeff Bousson is enthusiastic about the project’s progress this year, noting the financial benefits of the installation, along with the positive impact on the environment.

“Any on-site solar generation we have on campus will help reduce our demand for electricity during the day  and help drive down energy costs,” he said. “Using conservative estimates, the solar array on Dugmore Hall will save CWU at least $9,000 per year over the next 25 years.””

On top of the savings, the Dugmore solar array will reduce CWU’s carbon footprint by around 121 metric tons per year, the equivalent of driving a car for 308,000 miles or consuming 13,515 gallons of gasoline every year, according to the EPA Carbon Calculator.

The CAP calls for CWU to install four megawatts of  on-site renewable, emission-free electricity on campus by 2030, which would account for over half of CWU’s electricity needs once completed. To this end, more campus buildings have been identified for solar installations.

“The more renewable energy we have on site, the more money we save, and the more electrification projects we can undertake, such as installing geothermal systems and EV chargers on campus,” Bousson said. “The Dugmore project is just one example of the many projects we aim to complete as we design our campus-wide solar development plan, which has already identified nine additional campus buildings fit for solar installations.”

The installation was performed by Ellensburg Solar and led by Project Manager Sam Ellinger, a 2017 CWU Environmental Science alum. Ellinger found his passion for renewable energy while studying at Central.

“During my later classes, there was a lot of focus on renewable energy and a project in one of Elvin Delgado's classes had me reach out to solar installers to assess the feasibility of integrating agricultural sprinkler systems with solar as their supply source on center-pivot fields,” he said. “This sparked my interest in the solar side of things and started me down my path of working for a solar company. Having a bachelor’s degree from CWU in a similar field helped me get a foot in the door in the industry and has helped open up opportunities for career advancement.”

Another key initiative outlined in the CAP involves utilizing the various planned campus upgrades as educational opportunities for students like Ellinger, who might benefit from interacting with the clean energy solutions that will be critical to community resilience going forward.

“There are zero drawbacks,” Bousson said. “This project  will help expand our capacity, increase our resilience, and reduce utility costs, in addition to the environmental benefits of moving away from burning fossil fuels. Additionally, we can leverage these types of projects as an educational opportunity for our students, and show them  the energy solution ss of the future might look like as the climate continues to change at alarming rate.”

The Dugmore solar installation project was made possible by a $473,467 grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce through the Climate Commitment Act (CCA). CWU was also awarded $451,642 to conduct the large-scale solar study identifying additional opportunities to leverage solar power on campus.

The CCA supports Washington’s climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. Information about the CCA is available online.