The 9H research foundation has partnered with the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences to break ground on a small solar facility near Laramie.
The project has been in the planning phase for the last several years, with a conditional use permit approved by the Albany County Board Commissioners in October 2020.
The 5,000-kilowatt solar facility is currently under construction on the 9H ranch outside of Laramie and is being built with the help of Creative Energies Solar, a company that provides solar installations in Wyoming, Idaho, and Utah.
“9H Energy Research Foundation with the University of Wyoming as its partner is in a great position to provide statewide leadership in the deployment of solar in Wyoming. This project and others that follow its model can help to drive innovation, jobs, and economic development on Wyoming’s terms,” Creative Energies co-founder and co-owner Scott Kane said in a statement.
“Creative Energies is happy to donate our expertise to this project, doing our part to demonstrate that in Wyoming, we are ready to work together toward a clean energy future.”
In addition to helping with installation, Creative Energies also provided a $10,000 donation to the 9H Foundation.
The project will be the third largest solar array in the state of Wyoming and is planned to reach 3 megawatts over the course of its lifetime.
Additionally, the 9H Research Foundation says that the facility will generate 976,200 kilowatt hours annually.
The project has also received assistance from First Solar, which made a $300,000 donation to the 9H Research Foundation as well as 2,000 thin film solar photovoltaic modules.
The project will function as an opportunity for students and faculty to gain hands-on experience in the solar energy industry.
“The 9H student solar project gives Wyoming students the ability to gain hands-on experience in the clean energy sector and represents an exciting opportunity for the state,” 9H Research Foundation co-founder Gene Humphrey said in a statement.
“The 5-acre project will serve as a state-of-the-art innovation hub to propel research and fund student scholarships, projects, and experiential learning activities for decades to come.”
The partnership between UW and the 9H Research Foundation began this year, with 31 engineering seniors competing in a $5,000 senior design challenge focusing on energy storage and clean energy projects.
The 9H Foundation says that its efforts to promote clean energy projects reflect Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon’s Wyoming Innovation Network (WIN) Initiative by attracting industry to the state through providing clean solar energy and a skilled workforce.
“Through our partnership with UW, we will be creating endowed professorships and student scholarships to attract the best minds in the clean energy sphere,” Humphrey said in a UW news release.
