Solar Farm
The solar farm at Elon does not yet contribute directly to the University’s carbon reduction goals but it does contribute to global carbon reduction.
Construction of the nearly 15 acre solar farm began in spring 2015 and was completed in October 2015. The farm is expected to generate 4,500 megawatt hours of electricity annually. This is enough electricity to power 415 US homes for a year or provide 10% of Elon’s annual electricity consumption. Real-time electricity generation can be viewed on the Building Dashboard.
The farm is on Elon property. The property is leased to Loy Farm Solar LLC, a private company responsible for the construction and operation of the facility. The electricity is sold through the owner of the facility to Duke Energy and delivered directly to the power grid where it, along with electricity from other sources, is utilized by regional customers.
The solar farm models responsible global citizenship and benefits Elon students by providing an opportunity to study the equipment, operation and economics of the system. Generating this much electricity through solar rather than fossil fuels prevents 2,100 metric tons of carbon emissions annually, the equivalent of removing emissions from 450 cars every year.
Visiting the Solar Farm
Request a Tour: One hour tour of the solar farm and Elon Environmental Center at Loy Farm which includes the responsible architecture studio and food and farming system operations. Minimum group size is 5 people. Parking is limited so transportation is provided to and from the Environmental Center.
Register for a scheduled Tour: Individuals interested in attending a tour can register for one of the scheduled tours.
Faculty interested in accessing the solar farm site for something other than a tour, should read the Solar Farm Guidelines and submit an Solar Farm Access Request Form