Schools

Solar Carport Unveiled at Farmingdale State

Like something out of a movie, charging station makes debut.

Farmingdale State College unveiled a carport/charging station Monday, a futuristic solar powered energy center.

The carport is a major component of the $24 million Long Island Smart Energy Corridor funded by $12 million from the U.S. Department of Energy, with institutional commitments matching that amount, college officials said.

The facility - the first of its kind within SUNY - is the result of collaboration with the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), the U.S. Department of Energy, and Stony Brook University.

Farmingdale’s “Green Growth Initiative”  was developed by President Hubert Keen as part of the college’s mission to develop the college as a Model of Green Technology.

"The Renewable Energy and Sustainability Center (RESC) reflects Farmingdale’s legacy of pioneering efforts in green technology since its founding in 1912," Keen said. "As we say, ‘Green Then. Green Now.’” Keen said.

“This is a prime example of collaborative research yielding societal benefits,” said Dr. Tim Killeen, president of The Research Foundation for SUNY and SUNY’s vice chancellor for research. 

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The Research Foundation was responsible for overseeing and administering the grant funds for this project.  SUNY has the fifth largest university-based clean energy patent portfolio in the United States.

The carport/charging station is located in a main student parking lot near Lupton Hall.

It accommodates 20 electric-charged vehicles at a time, draws its power from 390 solar panels above, and produces about 100 kilowatts of electricity. From late May to late August (12 weeks), 35,015 kWh were generated by the solar carport, resulting in a savings to the college of over $6,500.

Find out what's happening in Farmingdalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

For a $10 refundable deposit, students and faculty may obtain cards so they can use the charging stations for one year. On average, it takes three to four hours to charge a car. No fees will be charged for the first year of operation.

Another key element for Farmingdale is the Energy Smart House which will be equipped with smart appliances controlled by a smart meter so that the owner will be able to monitor the house’s energy use at any time in any location. The house will be powered by solar, solar thermal (to supply hot water) and hydrogen fuel cell (to provide energy when the sun isn’t shining).

There are plans to install a renewable energy treadmill in one of the upstairs bedrooms. The Smart House will be complete later this fall.

Three newly-installed and activated wind turbines, located near silos which reflect the college’s agricultural origins, are expected to contribute about 7.2 kW to the campus electric grid. LIPA’s Smart Meter allows frequent monitoring of the electricity generated.

Other components of Farmingdale’s green technology efforts, managed by the School of Engineering Technology’s RESC, include a Commercial / Industrial demonstration site in Lupton Hall, the first accredited Solar Energy Center in the northeast, and a Sustainable Garden managed by the Department of Horticulture.

RESC will focus on workforce training (over 150 technicians have been trained) and applied research in solar, wind, geothermal, alternative fuel vehicles and smart grid technology.

 



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