First two Maize Rays solar arrays now operating on North Campus

On Sept. 17, the first phase of the University of Michigan’s Maize Rays initiative began with two new solar arrays generating power on North Campus. 

The initiative plans to add 25 megawatts of renewable energy across the University to lower its carbon footprint and expand solar function across all three campuses. The initiative, announced in May, is a part of the University’s commitment to renewable energy and its carbon neutrality goal. 

Twenty-five megawatts of carbon solar power is equivalent to powering roughly 3,000 homes. Brian Hall, assistant vice president of utilities, emphasized the scale and impact of the project in an interview with The Michigan Daily.  

“Our goal of 25 megawatts over three years is actually a significant investment in on campus solar that will actually make us one of the largest, if not the largest, installation in the country on (campus),” Hall said. 

In an interview with The Daily, Shana Weber, associate vice president of campus sustainability, said the Maize Rays initiative has three main areas to help tackle  the larger issue of sustainable energy.

“There are three areas we have to focus on,” Weber said. “One is where we get our electricity from. Another is how efficient our buildings are and the third is how we heat and cool. So over time our goal is to electrify the campus, to switch over from burning fossil fuel to the global power pool. … We’re building as much solar on campus as we can and also spurring the development of solar off campus.”

Weber also noted Ann Arbor has been very supportive of the initiative, with the city working in tandem with the University. Weber said together, the city and the initiative created opportunities to identify  solar sites that most effectively serve the community.

“Let’s find buildings that house community-serving organizations and let’s put solar on those buildings to lower their utility costs so more of their budget can go towards those community-serving programs rather than paying for utilities,” Weber said. “It’s a very simple concept, but it’s a very real, very tangible benefit (for the community).”

The two solar arrays, located at the North Campus Facilities Service building, include a rooftop array and a solar carport that together provide almost 600 kilowatts of renewable power. The generated electricity will lower scope 2 emissions, the amount of energy needed to be purchased. Weber said each additional array built brings the University closer to achieving its carbon neutrality goals. 

“Once those generate electricity and it goes into the tamper grid, it means we buy less electricity off of the large regional grid… We made a commitment to transition all of our purchased electricity to carbon-neutral and this is one of the first steps to getting there, along with some initiatives that are already in place,” Weber said. “The more of these (changes) we do, the less electricity we’re buying off the grid and that helps us get towards that goal.”

The energy generated from these panels will not only power the building they are on top of, but will also send power to other buildings across campus. Hall emphasized the positive campus-wide effects these arrays will create in an interview with The Daily.

“By being connected into the building substation that is also connected to the University distribution system — if we’re actually generating more than what’s used in the building, it will flow out onto our University grid and be used by the other buildings,” Hall said. “Even though a location is connected into a building, in reality, you can think of the whole University as one big system, and we’re all benefiting from it together.” 

Engineering sophomore Shaunak Sharma worked as a data integration intern at Radial Power this summer, a sustainable management company that serves as the project managers and financiers for Maize Rays. Sharma currently collaborates with Michigan EcoData to create a student-centered website promoting sustainable energy and increasing on-campus engagement with the initiative. Sharma said in an interview with The Daily this website and Maize Rays are important to students. 

“I feel like a lot of kids at (the University) are really interested in seeing the University because they’re such a leader in so many forefronts,” Sharma said. “(They want to see) a progress in sustainability because  that’s really gonna show that we’re here at a school that really cares about the climate and the environment,” Sharma said. 

Daily Staff Reporter Ava Cobb can be reached at avacobb@umich.edu.