Loyola University Maryland receives state grant for solar installation
Loyola University Maryland has received $2.22 million in grants from the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) for the funding of solar installations on its Evergreen campus, and a Loyola-owned property near the university.
More specifically, the grants will support the installation of rooftop solar systems on the school’s Fitness & Aquatic Center. The school will also put the funds toward a solar canopy over the parking lot of its Community Hub and Center for Neighborhood Resilience.
“The introduction of on-campus solar power generation will help Loyola meet its emissions reduction goals outlined in the University’s Climate Action Plan,” says Helen Schneider, associate VP for facilities and risk management. “We are grateful for the State’s investment in clean energy generation and planning on college and university campuses, especially as we at Loyola focus on living out our Laudato Si’ commitment to care for our common home.”
This year, the school received $1.06 million from the MEA’s 2026 Higher Education Clean Energy Grant Program, specifically in support of its solar canopy installation. This grant will also support the creation of a new engineering course, developed by Suzanne Keilson, Ph.D., chair and associate professor of engineering.
Building Maryland’s energy future
The university received $1.16 million from the MEA’s 2025 Higher Education Clean Energy Grant Program for the fitness center’s solar installation. The money will also go to the university’s Campus Clean Energy Master Plan, which the school says “identifies key goals and targets for Loyola’s campus based on Maryland’s clean energy goals and defines strategies and options available to achieve these targets.”
A student internship bonus is also included in the grants, and will fund student internship hiring for the school’s Office of Sustainability each semester for three years. The school says that two students, the Class of 2028’s Dami Sule-Odu and Evan Elmore, already interned earlier this summer.
The projects will both reduce the school’s overall carbon emissions and help to advance its Climate Action Plan goals, the university says. The projects will provide shade to lower the urban heat island impact of the Baltimore Metropolitan Area, and will support sustainability efforts across the region.
“We are so grateful for the support from the Maryland Energy Administration that is making these changes possible,” says Kristy Michel, VP of finance and administration. “This funding will enhance and strengthen the important work that is already underway in the University’s facilities and in the curriculum.”
