University of the Pacific is installing solar panels at 8 parking lots

A major solar power initiative at University of the Pacific's Stockton, Calif., campus a leader in renewable energy on college campuses.

The university says it is working with Tesla to install solar canopies that will cover spaces at eight parking lots on the 175-acre campus.

The solar panels will generate 5.3 megawatts of electricity and have one megawatt of battery storage. They will provide more than 30% of the overall energy needs of the campus.

"We are proud to take this national leadership role in campus-based sustainability and renewable energy efforts," says Pacific President Christopher Callahan. "The solar project is just the latest example of Pacific's tradition of leadership through innovation and our focus on reducing our carbon footprint.

The university also will install 16 electric vehicle charging ports throughout campus. Should demand increase for the ports, infrastructure will be in place to add more.

A renewable energy system this size is estimated to generate the electricity equivalent of removing over 1,000 cars from the road every year, provide the equivalent energy use for over 650 homes annually and avert over 5,000 metric tons of greenhouse gasses annually.

“This project demonstrates Pacific's ongoing commitment to energy conservation and environmentally sound practices for current and future generations,” says Jessica Bilecki, the university's sustainability director. “We put into practice our value of civic responsibility by developing renewable energy resources for our community.”

Construction of the solar canopies has already begun and should be ready early next year.