Public universities throughout the United States have had their budgets cut deeply and often since the Great Recession began. One New Jersey community college has offset lost funding by installing a solar system on campus. Mercer County Community College (MCCC) in West Windsor, NJ will save an estimated US$750,000 annually (70 percent of its energy requirements) in electricity costs by installing an 8 Megawatt solar system on campus. The solar panels will be installed on 45 acres of open space owned by the college. The savings will be allocated toward student activities programs and services that would have been otherwise diminished or eliminated. A secondary benefit is that the system will supplement MCCC’s renewable energy program.
http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/intelligent-energy/solar-power-helps-college-cope-with-budget-cuts/16168
