PORTALES, NM – March 23, 2022 – Eastern New Mexico University took a few more steps toward having a solar energy facility on campus, as the Board of Regents approved a proposal in February that is expected to save the University approximately $9 million in energy costs over 30 years.

According to the proposal, the facility would be located north of Greyhound Stadium at the corner of Fir Street and Avenue O in Portales. The new solar energy resource is expected to offset about 75 percent of the campus' yearly power needs.

To realize these savings, the project consists of more than 10,000 solar panels which track the sun to maximize the amount of solar energy collected through the day, collecting 20 percent more power than a fixed system. The panels are also bi-facial, which collect power from both from direct and reflected sunlight, adding to the overall power generation.

Albuquerque company Affordable Solar, the largest solar installer in the state, is the company installing the array, with the tracking system purchased from Array Technologies, Inc., also New Mexico-based.

"The exciting thing about this project is how hard the University worked to make it a reality," said Dylan Connely, director of commercial solar development at Affordable Solar. "They were committed to taking the time and investment to bring this to life. ENMU is a visionary client dedicated to bringing renewable energy to eastern New Mexico."

Construction on the project, in planning for the past several years, is scheduled to begin in summer 2022.