Iona’s Gone Solar

During the recent holidays, if you glanced up at the Iona roof, you might have noticed something remarkable – the installation of 192 solar panels atop the Columba building! This innovative addition marks a significant step towards sustainability and renewable energy at Iona.

With this new solar system in place, we’re set to produce over 400kW of clean energy daily, contributing to a substantial reduction of approximately 470kg of CO2 emissions per day. Over the course of a year, this translates to an impressive 170 tonnes of CO2 saved, equivalent to removing 35 cars from the road annually.

Moreover, it’s worth noting the environmental impact beyond emissions. It typically takes 5 trees an entire lifetime to offset 1 tonne of carbon. With our solar energy savings, we’re effectively planting the equivalent of approximately 850 trees each year.

What’s more, the energy generated isn’t just benefiting Iona; any excess power not utilized is seamlessly fed back into the grid, further promoting sustainable energy practices beyond our campus borders.

This exciting project highlights our commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability, marking a significant step towards a greener and more sustainable future for Iona College.