Solar Array Initiative

Hello, Fellow DePauw Alumni and Friends of the University.

We are so excited to share this opportunity for you to partner with us in creating DePauw’s first solar array installation. With the 10-year anniversary of the Center for Sustainability at DePauw, the solar initiative caps off a decade of progress toward our commitment of a more sustainable campus for future generations of DePauw students. In 2008 DePauw’s president joined 575 other college and university presidents and chancellors across America who pledged to neutralize the greenhouse gas emissions of their institutions and make environmental awareness a key component of campus life. A solar array will bring us one step closer to fulfilling our promise and making sustainability at DePauw a way of life. Th e new solar initiative plays an integral role in supporting DePauw’s Campus Energy Master Plan and the University’s commitment to environmental stewardship. This will complement ongoing sustainability and educational initiatives such as the Ullem Family Campus Farm complex; zero-waste food recovery and composting partnership with Bon Appétit; and campus recycling. Environmental stewardship and sustainability are important to prospective students, and the solar array will improve DePauw’s efforts in student recruitment. Th e solar array project fits perfectly with our core values and positions DePauw as a national leader in sustainability efforts. Please join us in this exciting venture as we continue to create an atmosphere of intellectual challenge and social engagement that prepares students for lifelong success.

Our very best,

Rick ’76 and Jan Neville

DePauw Moves to Sustainable Energy with Solar Power

DePauw University’s commitment to sustainability on campus has never been stronger than it is today. With bold ambitions of implementing a Campus Energy Master Plan focused on sustainability, DePauw proudly presents an exciting opportunity for alumni and friends to support the installation of a solar array on the south-facing roofline of the Indoor Tennis and Track Center.

Please consider partnering with us on this project by purchasing a solar panel or package of solar panels.

Athletics Campus Solar Array

The Photovoltaic Renewable Energy, or solar array, project will establish a campus presence of renewable energy that demonstrates DePauw’s commitment to sustainability and replaces utility-purchased electricity with renewable energy. The solar array will reduce DePauw’s electricity costs and reduce the University’s carbon footprint. Operating data from the system will provide research and learning opportunities for faculty and students.

The Indoor Tennis and Track Facility on DePauw’s athletics campus has been chosen as the best location for a solar array installation because of its large, south facing roofline, where solar panels can receive sunlight throughout the day. As a result of this project, DePauw will offset the Tennis and Track Center’s annual electrical energy use by about 25 percent. Additionally, its proximity to the Ullem Family Campus Farm and Center for Sustainability will enable students and faculty to leverage shared resources and partner closely on programs and initiatives that will continue DePauw’s commitment to sustainability and student faculty collaborative research. Finally, the highly visible location of the solar array will signal to all visitors to the DePauw athletics campus – prospective and current students, parents, faculty, community members and other guests – that sustainability is a priority at DePauw University. This type of values statement will go a long way toward DePauw’s ability to recruit top students, especially those interested in sustainability and the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math.

The Opportunity

A $200,000 matching fund will leverage gifts from alumni and friends who are interested in supporting this initiative. Gifts of $2,500 or more for the solar array project will be matched one to one. DePauw seeks gifts at all levels to be applied to the $400,000 project. With a $500 gift, donors will have the opportunity to purchase a solar panel for the project and will be permanently recognized among those who have made this initiative possible.

Conclusion

The installation of a solar array on the Indoor Tennis and Track Center represents a pivotal moment in the history of DePauw University, and it’s just the beginning. A key step toward implementing the ambitious Campus Energy Master Plan, the successful completion of this project will set DePauw on a course toward becoming recognized for its commitment to sustainability. Our students, faculty and staff have begun an exciting and rewarding journey toward renewable energy, a reduced carbon footprint and cost savings. Will you join us?

For more information, please contact Chris Baker by phone or email at: (765) 658-4204 or chrisbaker@depauw.edu.

To download a PDF version of this initiative and webpage, please click here.