News Story

The University of Michigan will add 25 megawatts of renewable energy across campus through the new Maize Rays solar expansion initiative, marking a significant milestone in the university’s commitment to sustainability and climate action.

University leadership unveiled the initiative during a ceremony May 13 at the North Campus Facilities Services Building, the site of the first phase of construction.

The Maize Rays solar power expansion initiative includes the on-campus solar project and will incorporate additional projects to enhance solar capacity across all University of Michigan campuses and at off-site locations that boost Michigan-based renewables.

At the facilities services building, U-M is adding a solar power system featuring both a rooftop array and a carport installation. This construction is the first of a three-year effort and plays an important role in U-M’s goal of eliminating Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by early 2027.

During the kick-off event, several key leaders addressed the attendees, including Shana Weber, associate vice president for Campus Sustainability; Kim Kiernan, co-interim associate vice president for Facilities and Operations; Brian Hall, assistant vice president of Utilities; Victoria “Torrie” Jacobs, incoming president for Students for Clean Energy; and John Bates, chief executive officer of Radial Power, the energy and sustainability solutions firm managing the solar installations.

The on-campus 25-megawatt component of Maize Rays will eventually generate power equivalent to the annual usage of around 3,000 homes. University buildings will directly utilize the power generated, reducing Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions, which are linked to purchased electricity.

By the end of 2025, Ann Arbor is expected to have more than 10 megawatts of on-campus solar power online, with future expansions planned for the Dearborn and Flint campuses.

Weber emphasized the initiative’s role in the broader Campus Plan 2050.

“The Maize Rays initiative is one component of our broader vision to be a global beacon of resilience, innovation, efficiency and inspiration for our campus community, always with an eye on scalable impact and broader community engagement,” Weber said. “It’s not just about installing solar panels, it’s also about re-imagining big projects like this to explicitly enhance engagement, community benefits, education, and research opportunities.”

Kiernan welcomed attendees by highlighting the excitement surrounding the initiative.

“The entire campus community will be able to see these installations in places all across campus. Our goal is to maximize visibility and awareness,” Kiernan said.

At the heart of the initiative is the technical expertise of the Office of Campus Sustainability alongside Facilities & Operations. Both units and external partners such as Radial Power collaborate with student groups including Students for Clean Energy and EcoData to engage the campus community, track the project’s progress and provide peer-to-peer educational opportunities focused on solar energy.