Solar panels now cover 18 of the 88 roofs at the University of Denver, producing up to 8% of the campus’s energy.

In 2014, a student group and, separately, a class examining renewable energy proposals both pushed the DU administration to increase solar energy at the school. Installation of the panels began in May 2019 and ended this year, and the university estimates the project will reduce carbon emissions by 3% to 4%.

“We’ve added new smart meters at each of the buildings that has solar, so for the first time we are getting fairly real-time data at 15-minute intervals,” Chad King, executive director of sustainability, told the campus news service. “We get data about how much solar is being produced and how much electricity the whole building is utilizing. That allows us to get a much better idea of the energy profile of the buildings and [to] better project what other improvements and behavioral changes could do.”

DU set a goal of reducing carbon emissions by 24% compared to 2007 levels by 2020, and to produce 5% of energy needs through renewable, onsite sources by 2025. The university also seeks to become a “zero waste campus” by 2035 and purchase 40% of food from local or sustainable producers.