By the time students return to the Community College of Philadelphia in fall 2026, two of its campuses will be powered partly by the sun. Ameresco, a company that builds clean energy projects, announced it will install solar panels on rooftops at the college's main campus on Spring Garden Street and its Northeast Regional Campus — bringing renewable energy to the heart of the city.
The project is paid for through Pennsylvania's Solar for Schools grant program, which helps schools and colleges switch to clean energy. Construction begins in summer 2026 and should be finished by the end of that year.
Tim Trzaska, who leads construction projects at the college, said the solar installation is an important step toward a more sustainable campus. "We're proud to partner with Ameresco to contribute to that progress, serving as an example for peer institutions," he said.
The two rooftop solar arrays will do more than just generate electricity. They will reduce how much power the college buys from the local electric grid, making the school less dependent on outside energy sources and more prepared during power outages. Students will also get real-world learning chances to study how renewable energy works — a skill that's growing in demand across Pennsylvania and beyond.
Louis Maltezos, Co-President of Ameresco, said the project creates lasting value beyond the rooftop. "This project creates lasting value beyond the rooftop, supporting the college's resilience goals while giving students a direct connection to the renewable energy systems shaping their future," he said.
Ameresco, headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts, was founded in 2000 and employs more than 1,500 people across North America and Europe. The company works with government agencies, schools, hospitals, and businesses to upgrade buildings with cleaner, more efficient energy systems.
Pennsylvania has been pushing to expand solar energy at schools and colleges across the state, and the Community College of Philadelphia's new solar project puts it near the center of that effort. As more institutions follow suit, the hope is that the trend grows — and that students who learn about clean energy today become the workers, engineers, and leaders who expand it tomorrow.