Localizing Buffalo’s Renewable Energy Future
The University at Buffalo greatly reduced its Scope 2 emissions through a power purchase agreement (PPA) funded by the NYSERDA’s Energy to Lead Competition. Through the PPA, UB constructed a series of on-site solar projects with an energy output of 12.7 million kWh—making the University one of the largest on-campus producers of renewable energy in the country.
Key Metrics
- $1 million from NYSERDA’s Energy to Lead Competition
- Project costs covered by developer per power purchase agreement (PPA)
- Electricity costs went from $21 million to $14 million, 33% in annual savings
- Five ground-mounted solar arrays (11.2 million kWh)
- Four rooftop solar arrays (1.49 million kWh)
- Renewable energy certificates (RECs) until off-site purchasing agreement can be secured
- Increased on-site solar capacity 20-fold, producing 6% of campus electricity demand
- Nearly all remaining electricity (220 GWh) supplied by off-site solar via renewable energy certificates (RECs)
- Combined led to a 30% decrease in overall greenhouse gas emissions
Figure 1 - University at Buffalo’s combined Scopes 1 and 2 emissions reduction, solar capacity increase, and electricity cost reductions on campus
Institutional Goals
University at Buffalo has a climate neutrality goal of 2030 and an interim goal of using 100% renewable electricity by 2025.
Background
The University at Buffalo developed a comprehensive climate action plan 
providing a roadmap of ten bold strategies to be achieved over a ten-year timespan. With a climate neutrality goal scheduled for 2030 and an interim goal of using 100% renewable electricity by 2025, UB dived headfirst into its “not all energy is created equal” pillar and went big on solar procurement for the campus.
UB first led an initiative to develop a power-purchasing consortium with Buffalo State College, Erie County, SUNY Erie Community College, and City of Buffalo. Off-site renewable electricity generation was explored using a unified request for proposals (RFP). Altogether the consortium’s request was 275 GWh annually of renewable electricity—which optimally would have provided power to Erie County, Erie Community College, the City of Buffalo, and Buffalo State College—none of the partners except UB and Erie County moved forward with the pursuit of purchasing off-site solar through the Renewable Energy Power Purchase Agreement (REPA) mechanism.
The University at Buffalo was ultimately able to install 12.7 million kWh of solar on its campus. Working with Greenbacker and Solar Liberty, which built, owns, and operates the solar arrays, UB installed five ground-mounted solar arrays that consist of more than 22,600 solar panels. Four buildings house rooftop solar arrays as well.
Solutions Explored
By leading the formation of the consortium of Erie County, Erie Community College, the City of Buffalo, and Buffalo State College, the University of Buffalo intended to maximize buying power through aggregated electricity needs. The consortium was called the Renewable Energy Power Purchase Agreement (REPA), wherein each entity explored purchasing all clean energy produced by projects installed in identified local sites over a 20-year period at a fixed price. Project objectives allowed for opportunities to leverage the benefits of a large-scale solar PPA through bundling several smaller-scale solar PV installations, as well as fostering academic and learning opportunities.
While the consortium concept was intended to facilitate the procurement of a large amount of clean energy, the devil was in the details. Multiple challenges with siting, stakeholder buy-in, and, most significantly, cost led to individual partners abandoning both on-site and off-site solar PPA options. Only one other partner within the power-purchasing consortium, Erie County, moved forward with a project (a 500,000-kWh ground-mount installation in Tonawanda, NY).
Solutions Implemented
UB, however, moved forward with five, on-site, large-scale ground-mounted and four rooftop solar arrays for 12.7 million kWh on campus through a 20-year power purchase agreement with Greenbacker and Solar Liberty, which owns and operates the panels. UB has more than 200 buildings on campus, but only four were ultimately viable for rooftop solar. Considerations included not only shading, direction, and surface area, but the roof’s age, load-bearing weight limits, and the effects of solar installations on existing roof warranties.
These on-site ground-mounted and rooftop solar arrays account for 6% of UB’s total electricity use, stabilize electricity costs over the 20-year timespan, and provide “campus as a living lab” opportunities for students, faculty, and area K12 schools. (For comparison, UB’s on-campus solar generation is equivalent to the energy needed to power 1,157 homes for a year—about the population of Mount Morris, New York.)
Figure 2 - University at Buffalo’s on-site solar capacity can provide the energy needed to power 1,157 homes 
One significant benefit of this PPA is in stabilizing electricity costs for UB. The volatile energy market means unpredictable and uncontrollable costs with fossil-fuel-based electricity rates fluctuating; the PPA stabilizes energy costs for more predictable budgeting.
Another unique feature of UB’s ground-mounted solar arrays is that there are no fences around them. The University’s intention has been to enable wildlife and people to continue using the spaces and offering classroom seating made up from concrete slabs recycled from old sidewalks at the Solar Strand array. These spaces enable students of all ages, including from local K12 schools, to walk through, touch, and learn more about solar panels.
To address the other 94% of total campus electricity usage, UB determined it needs an additional 200+ million kWh beyond its on-site solar projects. UB ran into timing challenges when working to gain approval from the New York Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) due to state procurement laws that changed in 2019. This delay was inconsistent with market demand and caused the vendor to withdraw its proposal. Thus, UB ultimately missed out on the opportunity due to price volatility. For now, they are purchasing renewable energy certificates (RECs) until an off-site purchasing agreement can be secured.
Budget and Financing
Under the PPA model, financing and ownership of all on-campus solar is through Greenbacker and Solar Liberty. The University is saving $400,000 each year that it otherwise would have been paying for grid electricity.
UB received $1 million from NYSERDA to support their on-campus solar project, including education, outreach, and moving UB's GRoW Clean Energy Center to campus. Being a PPA, the solar project was financed by private entities Greenbacker and Solar Liberty.
Timeline
- 2017—UB wins NYSERDA’s Energy to Lead competition, solidifies scope of work with NYSERDA; Renewable energy consultant hired; Western New York partnership forms
- 2018—Experiential student engagement activities around on-campus solar begin; All Western New York and UB sites are inventoried
- 2019—RFPs are issued; proposals are evaluated; UB awards Solar Liberty bid for on-site solar
- 2021—Construction begins for on-site solar at UB
- 2023—Construction of 12.7 million kWh of new solar capacity at UB is completed; National Grid authorizes interconnection; UB announces a decarbonization strategy for its South Campus
Lessons Learned
- Get all stakeholder input first. As a first step to select suitable sites for solar, investigate potentially competing land- and/or building-use plans before performing conditions assessments and other site-specific studies. UB suggests establishing a capital planning committee to approve all development on campus and seek input from diverse stakeholders, including individuals from the community. This is a crucial step in developing two-way communication, including hearing and addressing stakeholders’ concerns and providing learning opportunities regarding your initiative.
- Explore all permitting requirements. In UB’s case, an access road to a 25-acre solar field was to be leveraged for construction, but a permit was required, necessitating further study and key improvements that delayed implementation by six months.
- Investigate joint land use. Even in private land, utility infrastructure such as gas pipelines and transmission lines can be located underground due to public-interest land-use rights. In UB’s case, the New York State Department of Conservation also had a joint use interest, which complicated the approval process.
- Understand the state’s interconnection standards. The process for interconnecting photovoltaic systems with the utility grid is determined by the New York Public Service Commission. New York’s Standardized Interconnection Requirements (SIR) explains the process and information required for submitting interconnection applications to utilities.
- Size matters. The initial five-member coalition of Western New York entities was intended to aggregate energy usage, drive down costs, reduce emissions, and extend the benefits of decarbonization beyond the UB campus. But while the coalition gained strength in buying power, each entity faced different challenges and expressed different priorities, which resulted in all but one UB partner dropping out.
- Solar is a unique space for “living labs.” Architecture, planning, and engineering students can benefit from learning opportunities from solar initiatives. UB students in a studio called Vacant to Viable had students assess vacant parcels of land across Buffalo for solar installations, offering research opportunities and career skill-building. Area K12 teachers and students benefit from field trips and tours of UB’s solar facilities where they can see (and touch) solar panels.
Stakeholders Engaged
- Associate Vice President of Facilities
- Chief Financial Officer
- University Counsel
- Vice President for Finance and Administration (sponsor)
- Chief Sustainability Officer
For More Information
Ryan McPherson
Chief Sustainability Officer
Division of Finance and Administration
University at Buffalo
[email protected]
716-645-2054
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