As college students prepare for the spring semester, the University of Wisconsin-Superior is launching a new energy project on campus. The old soccer field on campus has been transformed into the site for the university’s new solar panel arrays. The panels were installed in the summer of 2025. This renewable energy project aims to lower utility costs and ease the strain on the electric grid.
A 440-kilowatt solar array has been installed on the old soccer field behind the student dorms. Campus staff say this is another a step toward making the university more energy efficient. The field was chosen, because it was no longer used and already fenced in. UWS Interim Director of Facilities Management, Mark Graves, says this location was a practical choice for the solar panels.
“We’re always looking to be a leader in renewable energies. There are neat things coming down the pipe that we’ll probably be seeing next year,” Graves said. “Reutilizing an old soccer field no longer being used, only made sense to kind of capitalize on something that already is fenced. It just happened to fit the solar array perfectly.”
The new solar panels are expected to produce up to 15% of the university’s electricity. Campus staff say the project will not only benefit utilities, but also improve overall energy efficiency.
“Predominantly, most utilities on campus are electric. The steam plant is gas and fuel oil for our predominant heating source, but it will be a reduction in electrical consumption. That’s the primary goal,” Graves said. “This solar array will kind of act as a living classroom. It will help us understand how the solar array interacts with the environment, with wildlife, with insects.”
The solar panel project cost over $1 million and took two years to complete. The university plans to have the system operational within the next two months.
“The goal is to have it up and running in the next two months, so March 9 through the 16. I believe, it’s the actual spring break,” Graves said. “That’s when we’d be able to shut down one building on campus, put it online. That’s the goal. It could be sooner, but I would assume it won’t be any later than March,”
When the solar array is fully operational, the University of Wisconsin-Superior expects to meet its energy-reduction goals. They plan on saving approximately 500,000 kilowatt-hours each year. With these energy conservation measures, the university also expects to reduce their energy costs by about $45,000 annually.
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