Arboretum goes solar in massive Harvard sustainability initiative
The living landscape of the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University thrives — for nearly 150 years the extensive collection of woody plants has been harnessing the energy of the sun, pulling in its rays to flourish. A new solar project now underway at the historic institution is taking that a step further by using the sun to power its scientific research facilities dedicated to understanding plant life, both at the Arboretum and around the world. The groundbreaking project complements Harvard’s Climate Action Plan and the city of Boston’s Carbon Free Boston initiative to become fossil-fuel free by 2050. When completed in the fall, the Weld Hill Solar Project will provide up to 30 percent of the energy used by the Weld Hill Research and Education Building in Roslindale. On about 1.2 acres adjacent to the facility, the solar project marks the most ambitious sustainability initiative to date for the Arboretum, and for...