On August 31, the Environment and Development Deparment (IAD), in its efforts to make of Zamorano a Green University, achieved an external financing with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through the Regional Office of Acquisition and Assistance in El Salvador within the Regional Clean Energy Initiative, for the installation of a solar photovoltaic system on the roof of IAD’s green building.
The solar photovoltaic system will have a capacity of 65 kWp and will be connected to Zamorano’s internal distribution network. It is estimated that the energy contribution of the system will exceed current demand for electrical loads of the building, thereby reducing the consumption of electricity from the national grid (powered by bunker fuel) and contributing to the reduction of CO2e emissions.
The system will combine different technologies and will be composed of amorphous, polycrystalline and monocrystalline modules, which in turn will be placed in different orientations on the roofs’ available area. This configuration will be synchronized to a monitoring and control system, which will compare technologies’ performance under the same conditions of installation and operation. Additionally, the system will be designed for educational purposes so it can be used as a teaching tool in the academic program, Learning by Doing, and training to external staff.
The agreement was made between Mr. José Alfonso Rodriguez, representative of Tetra Tech ES, Inc. – Branch El Salvador as USAID contractor for the implementation of the Regional Clean Energy Initiative; and Mr. Jeffrey Lansdale, president of Zamorano, in coordination with the Environment and Development Department.
This initiative is part of the certification efforts to make of Zamorano a Green University and is also part of the institutional Environmental Management Plan. Under the carbon neutral indicator, IAD has led the measurement of the corporate carbon footprint for Zamorano. IAD also promotes energy efficiency and the use of renewable energies.
