Building Energy, Italian company involved in the production of renewable energy in Italy and numerous foreign markets and ABM , a leading provider of facility solutions, announced  the construction on a 2 MW solar array to be implemented on Cornell University's campus in Ithaca, NY, representing the Ivy League university's first large solar endeavor. ABM will provide Engineering, Procurement and Construction and Operations & Maintenance services and Building Energy will finance and own the solar power plant in partnership with Distributed Sun, LLC, who developed the project for Cornell.

The 6,500+ panel ‘Lansing' solar array will provide Cornell University with fixed, low-cost energy rates over the life of the 30-year agreement, allowing Cornell to save money as utility costs are expected to rise in the coming years. "We are pleased to partner with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), Distributed Sun, LLC, and ABM to launch Cornell's first large solar project," said Cornell Vice President for Facilities Services Kyujung Whang. "This facility represents a significant step to advance Cornell's clean energy portfolio. The Lansing solar facility aligns with carbon reduction goals of Cornell, Tompkins County and New York State."

The multi-year, multi-million dollar contract represents the second project for ABM and Building Energy's recent joint venture. "Building Energy and its partners have been working extensively with Cornell University to finance and build a highly reliable solar power plant, which will provide Cornell with significant ongoing savings while delivering clean energy," said Building Energy Managing Director Andrea Braccialarghe. "Our efforts to help customers like Cornell find environmentally attractive solutions for their energy needs have been bolstered by the NY-Sun Initiative and policies that encourage foreign companies like us to invest in renewable energy initiatives in New York State."

The system is expected to generate just over 2.2 million kilowatt hours (kWh) per year on average. Additionally, a section of the plant will be designated for academic use, which allows students physical access to manipulate 10 solar panels and access to the Web-based dashboard of the solar array state-of-the-art monitoring software. It is planned that energy and real-time energy use data will be publicly available on the Web.