Northern Michigan University's WellBeing Center will generate nearly half its own electricity after the university completed installation of a 138-panel rooftop solar array in late July 2026, the first photovoltaic system mounted on an NMU building.
The 81-kilowatt system is projected to save the university $11,700 a year in utility costs and reduce campus greenhouse gas emissions by about 57 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, NMU announced on Aug. 20.
Marquette-based Peninsula Solar, an NMU alumni-owned contractor that has installed solar systems across Northern Michigan since 2011, completed the work. The array uses bifacial panels, which capture sunlight on both sides.
"Being this is the first rooftop PV system installation on campus, it will serve as a demonstration project that campus will use to benchmark its performance in our Northern climate and observe its impact on roof maintenance," said Kathy Richards, associate vice president for engineering and planning/facilities. "The results will determine the extent similar projects will be implemented across campus."
How it was funded
Half the project cost was covered by a $100,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development's Rural Development Fund. NMU secured an additional 40 percent rebate through the federal elective-pay Investment Tax Credit under the Inflation Reduction Act, a provision that lets tax-exempt institutions like public universities receive direct payment rather than a traditional tax credit.
The university did not disclose the total project cost.
Student push, long-range planning
The WellBeing Center, which opened in September 2023 and houses NMU's Health Center and Counseling and Consultation Services, was designed with rooftop solar in mind. NMU's internal green building standards require new campus construction to support future solar installation, and the building's minimal roof obstructions and lack of tree shading made it an ideal candidate.
Student interest helped accelerate the timeline. In fall 2023, more than a half-dozen students submitted proposals to NMU's student-funded Green Fund requesting rooftop solar for the building. The Green Fund was established in 2018 after 76 percent of student voters approved a $5 opt-out fee.
What comes next
The array ties into NMU's broader carbon-neutrality commitment, presented to the Board of Trustees on Dec. 15, 2023, which targets a 25 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and full carbon neutrality by 2050. Over its projected 30-year lifespan, the system is expected to eliminate more than 1,700 metric tons of CO2 equivalent.
Richards said the installation's performance data will determine whether similar arrays go up on other campus buildings. No timeline has been set.
