Here comes the sun. A new photovoltaic power generation system, installed on the roof of the McKim, Mead & White Building, is producing clean energy for the American Academy in Rome’s physical plant. The system has a total capacity of 46 kilowatts, which is expected to produce around 5,300 kilowatt hours of power per month on average and approximately 65,000 kilowatt hours of power annually. (For context, the average household in the United States uses about 900 kilowatt hours of power per month.)
According to Vittorio Zucchetti, AAR’s operations manager, this is a significant step toward reducing the Academy’s carbon footprint: “[The system] can save around seventy-five metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, which is the equivalent to about thirty acres of trees absorbing carbon dioxide annually.” It also will lead to cost savings.
The Academy extends our deep gratitude to Blake Middleton (1982 Fellow) and Martha Eddy, who generously funded the purchase and installation of the solar array.