The installation of 516 solar panels onto two buildings on Villa Maria College’s campus has recently been completed. Solar panels were added to the rooftops of Felician Hall and the Athletic Center as part of a nationwide project funded by the Felician Sisters of North America, who sponsor Villa Maria College. To date, the solar panels have produced over 84 megawatts of energy and avoided over 125 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
“A fundamental Felician-Franciscan tradition is to care for the environment,” said Dr. Matthew Giordano, Villa’s interim president. “At Villa Maria College, we take pride in our ability to be a part of the Felician Sisters’ commitment to environmental justice. The Felician Sisters continue to lead the Villa Community by example, inspiring us to embody our core values and live out our mission.”
In its entirety, this initiative will install solar panels on buildings of Felician convents and Felician-sponsored ministries in 6 locations throughout the country. It is estimated that the total power generated from all sites will produce about 2.1 1 million kilowatt-hours of electricity in the first year of operation. The installation of these solar panels is estimated to help avoid more than 83 million pounds of CO2 emissions over its 35-year operating life—the equivalent of CO2 emissions that that would result from burning more than 2 million pounds of coal every year for 35 years.
For more pictures, visit the Flickr album: flickr.com/photos/villamariacollege/sets/72157699851306931
