Rensselaer's PV array is made up of 32 panels, each containing 36 silicon wafers in series which can produce about 75 watts of electric power in bright sunlight.  The DC power is changed into AC power by an inverter in the VCC basement and fed into the building's grid. The system has been providing electricity to the VCC since July 2001.
 
Rensselaer's array is uncommon in that it is mechanically set up to track the sun across the sky. By doing this more direct sunlight is captured and the array produces about 25% more energy than a stationary array. Even less common is the feature that tracks the sun in two axes, as the sun moves throughout the day and through the seasons. Rensselaer's array uses the two axes that best describe and follow the sun's motion: a polar axis parallel to the earth's rotational axis and a perpendicular declination axis that follows the seasons.  The polar axis rotates at an approximately constant 15 degrees per hour to follow the sun throughout the day. This rotation is provided by a gearmotor, while a hydraulic cylinder moves the declination axis. A small 68HC11 computer calculates the sun's position and controls the motion of the array by actuating the gearmotor and the hydraulic cylinder.