Cogenra Solar has announced a project to build a solar cogeneration array at University of Arizona (UA), a four-year public research university located in Tucson, Arizona.

In collaboration with Technicians For Sustainability and Tucson Electric Power, UA will be the first university in the United States to benefit from Cogenra's solar cogeneration solution, which provides both heat and electric energy.

The system will comprise 50 Cogenra SunDeck modules located on the roof of Villa De Puente dormitory on Highland Avenue. Facilities that consume large amounts of hot water, such as college dormitories, are ideally suited for solar cogeneration solutions.

The roof-mounted array will supply hot water and electricity to fuel daily needs such as laundering, showering, cleaning, and lighting for student residents.

"We're pleased to announce our second Arizona installation and applaud the sustainability ethic of University of Arizona. Southern Arizona's desert climate is perfect for solar cogeneration," said Cogenra CEO Dr. Gilad Almogy.

"With solar cogeneration, PV waste heat is harvested to provide domestic hot water needs, displacing valuable natural gas while cooling the PV cells for optimal performance in the desert conditions."