Publish Date: October 8th, 2015

Namaste Solar, an employee-owned cooperative and leading engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) provider of solar electric systems for commercial, non-profit, government and residential customers throughout the U.S. has partnered with Elizabethtown College, Community Energy and Advanced Solar Industries to build Pennsylvania’s largest higher education-sited photovoltaic solar array. Elizabethtown College was awarded a $500,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority (PEDA) to build the project and enhance the sustainability efforts on campus.

The solar installation will have the ability to supply more than 20 percent of Elizabethtown College’s annual electricity needs and provide environmental and economic benefits to the community. Situated on 10 acres owned by the College in Mount Joy Township, the project is owned and operated by solar power developer Community Energy and is expected to produce more than 3,000,000 kWh per year — enough to power the equivalent of nearly 300 homes. The 2.6-megawatt DC ground-mounted solar photovoltaic system will also create an educational living-learning laboratory right on campus. The array is scheduled to be completed this winter.

“Namaste Solar is proud to be a partner in Elizabethtown College’s efforts to bring clean energy to campus,” said Cynthia Christensen, Namaste Solar’s Commercial Sales Director. “This project marks several firsts for the company, a first time partnership with Advanced Solar Industries, and Namaste Solar’s first large-scale solar array in the state of Pennsylvania. We’re not only excited to continue to grow our solar community in the Northeast Region, but to bring renewable energy to wider audience.”

Some of Namaste Solar’s most notable solar projects to date have included the Denver Housing Authority, New Belgium Brewing Company, the Colorado Convention Center, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Boulder Community Hospital, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Namaste Solar has also been widely recognized for the company’s innovative business model and unique work environment, such as, Outside Magazine’s Best Places to Work (2013-2014); WorldBlu’s Most Democratic Workplace (2010-2014); B Lab’s Best for the World (2012-2014); U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Year (2011), Boulder Chamber of Commerce’s Best Places to Work (2010), Denver Business Journal’s Best Places to Work (2009), and a #56 ranking in Inc. Magazine’s Inc. 500 list of fastest growing companies (2009).

Photo courtesy of Elizabethtown College.