Solar Energy Dashboard

Located on the western portion of campus with trenching that connects it to the Ap Seaverns Athletic Center, Suffield’s 600-kilowatt solar power array is projected to produce approximately 790KW of energy per year. The array aims to cover a quarter of Suffield’s annual use and the system can be expanded over time.

The project was made possible by an upfront payment funded by a lead gift from the Willow Springs Foundation as well as proceeds from the 2019 Parents’ Association Auction Fund-A-Need. An additional major gift helped with a variety of energy reduction projects including an energy audit performed by The Stone House Group. Impressively, while Suffield’s campus size has increased by 71% over the past decade greenhouse gas emissions from energy have declined. Metric tons of carbon emissions went from more than eight per square foot to under six.

Jack Robinson ’60 from Boston, Massachusetts is a member of Suffield’s Board and Trustee Emeritus. Welcoming the opportunity to promote sustainability and climate mitigation, he commented on the school’s solar energy initiative by saying, “Suffield’s solar farm is a big deal! After dedicating years to making the campus more energy efficient while increasing climate and environmental awareness in the Suffield community, the solar array is the Academy’s first major step to produce its own green and no cost electrons for the campus-wide microgrid. Modular by design with land to expand, the solar energy array is a major step forward as Suffield Academy moves ever closer to carbon neutrality.”

Guests visiting the Suffield Academy website can learn more about the school’s commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability here, where visitors can now also view Suffield’s new Solar Energy Daily Dashboard.