Sharing Industry Data for Campus Solar Research at ITUM

Good research needs real world data. First Energy was glad to provide information and data for a study by G. K. Jayatunga and M. Wickramathilaka of the Institute of Technology, University of Moratuwa, presented at ITUM's 3rd International Research Conference on 18 December 2024. The authors thank First Energy in the paper's acknowledgements.

What the study found

The paper, Integrating Solar Photovoltaic Systems for Energy Management: A Case Study of a Higher Educational Institute, looks at how solar can cut energy costs at ITUM, a campus of around 1,600 resident students and 200 staff whose energy bill rose from 22 million LKR in 2020 to 33 million LKR in 2022.

• Proposed system: 450 kWp on more than 5,100 m2 of usable roof
• Coverage: about 65 per cent of daytime energy use
• Savings: around 2.17 million LKR a month
• Payback: about two years on a 48.04 million LKR investment
• Carbon: 395 tonnes of CO2 avoided each year

The study supports UN Sustainable Development Goal 7.1 on affordable, reliable and modern energy, and shows how campuses can save money while setting an example on sustainability.

Source: Proceedings of the 3rd International Research Conference, ITUM (2024)