Adelphi University Turns Roof Challenge into Solar Opportunity
SolarKal and Greenskies Help Advance University’s Commitment to Sustainable Infrastructure
Garden City, NY (October 14, 2026) – Adelphi University, Long Island’s top-ranked private university, today announced a major new solar energy initiative on its 75-acre main campus. A new 295 kW solar system on the roof of its Center for Recreation and Sports is now providing renewable solar electricity for the university over the next 20-plus years.
Advancing Adelphi’s commitment to sustainable growth and smart infrastructure, the new rooftop solar installation at Adelphi’s sports center expands its clean energy portfolio and is expected to generate approximately 370,000 kWh of electricity annually, offsetting a portion of the Sports Center’s consumption.
Adelphi’s sustainability initiatives stretch back decades. The University introduced geothermal heating and cooling in a residence hall that opened in 2003, completed a 50 kW solar installation on Swirbul Library in 2011, and added a 2 MW cogeneration plant in 2016. The Center for Recreation and Sports is also LEED-certified, and Adelphi was named to The Princeton Review’s 2025 Guide to Green Colleges.
“Smart growth and sustainable infrastructure are key priorities for Adelphi University, and this project aligns directly with those goals,” Carol Ann Boyle, Vice President of Adelphi’s Campus Operations, said. “Bringing more solar online is a major step toward Adelphi’s cleaner, more sustainable future.”
The project began with an unexpected setback when the sports center’s gymnasium roof failed prematurely. With the manufacturer no longer in business, Adelphi faced an unplanned roof replacement. Robert Shipley, Adelphi’s Assistant Vice President for Facilities Management, saw an opportunity in the setback: replace the roof and add solar at the same time. The solar project required no upfront capital investment from Adelphi and offered the potential for long-term energy savings.
“We had to replace the roof, so the question became: How do we make the most of that investment?” said Shipley. “Pairing the new roof with solar gave us an opportunity to solve an immediate problem while doing something that will benefit Adelphi for years to come.”
SolarKal, a commercial solar advisory and marketplace firm, began working with Adelphi in 2022, helping guide the project from initial evaluation and competitive procurement through development and completion.
“As a New Yorker with a personal connection to Adelphi, this has always felt like a hometown project to me,” Neil Sharma, SolarKal Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer, said. “After working toward it for years, it’s especially rewarding to see it come to life. We had the right partners, worked through the challenges, and ultimately delivered a great project with lasting value for Adelphi.”
Greenskies Clean Energy, a leading commercial solar developer, owner, and operator, developed and constructed the 546-panel rooftop solar project and will own and operate the system under a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Adelphi. Under the agreement, Adelphi purchases the electricity generated by the system at a predetermined rate, allowing the University to expand its use of on-site clean energy without an upfront capital investment.
“Projects like this take close coordination from development through construction and interconnection,” said Carson Mislick, Director of Project Delivery at Greenskies Clean Energy. “We’re proud to have worked alongside Adelphi and SolarKal to bring the project across the finish line and deliver a system that will support the University's long-term sustainability goals.”
With the system fully energized and producing clean, renewable energy, this is a long-awaited milestone. And neither a failed roof, a lengthy utility interconnection process, nor one of Long Island’s snowiest winters in decades could prevent Adelphi’s bright solar future.
