Solar array brings Middlebury College closer to 100% renewable energy 

Vermont’s Middlebury College is one step closer to its goal of using 100% renewable energy after the installation of a 5 MW solar array near the campus.

Representatives from Middlebury College, Encore Renewable Energy, and Greenbacker Renewable Energy Co. came together on Oct. 24 for a ribbon-cutting event to celebrate the activation of the solar array that provides the college with 40% of its total electricity.

The solar array is one of the largest in the state with 15,348 solar panels mounted on single-axis trackers that follow the sun east to west throughout the day.

“It has been a truly cooperative effort to make the solar array fully energized and ready to provide renewable clean energy to the college,” said Middlebury College President Laurie L. Patton, noting that Middlebury’s students played an important role in bringing the project to fruition, through a collaboration in support of climate justice.

The partnership allows the College to retain renewable energy credits and moves it closer to meeting the climate goals in its Energy2028 initiative, which in part calls for the use of 100% renewable energy by 2028. 

Middlebury, Encore, and Green Mountain Power (GMP) formed an agreement that allows the college to purchase credits for the energy created from the solar array in support of its goal to use 100% renewable energy. The energy produced comprises about 40% of the college’s electricity needs. The other 60% comes from its biomass plant, other local solar energy sites, and Green Mountain Power’s grid, which is 100% carbon-free and 68% renewable. 

Chad Farrell, founder and co-CEO of Encore, said the project is the first of its kind in Vermont, “bringing a new model of customer-driven, low-cost clean energy without negative economic impact to other ratepayers.” 

Located about two miles from the Middlebury campus at 1342 South Street Extension, the solar array was developed and constructed by Encore and is now owned and operated by Greenbacker — an independent power producer and energy transition-focused investment manager.

“This solar powerplant is one of the first in Vermont that actually tracks the sun from east to west allowing us to generate between 15 and 20% more energy, which provides a cheaper cost of electricity for Middlebury,” said Matt Murphy, chief operations officer of Greenbacker.

Also part of the project, South Street Storage — a battery energy storage system constructed next to the solar array — will provide the ability to store excess energy that might otherwise be lost in the middle of the day when electricity demand is lower and the sun is brightest.