The Sun Devils will become sun harvesters after embarking on the largest-scale solar energy project of any university in the nation.

Officials contracted three energy companies -- Honeywell Building Systems, Independent Energy Group and SolEquity -- to install solar electric equipment capable of satisfying 7 percent of the Tempe campus’ energy needs by the end of the year.

“The installation will start in August and it will be completed in December of ’08,” said Karen Leland, a spokeswoman for ASU’s Global Institute of Sustainability.

David Brixen, the school’s assistant vice president for capital facilities services, said officials hope to triple the output of solar power within three years, so that the sun is producing about 20 percent of the campus’ energy.

Altogether, the equipment will occupy 135,000 square feet of roof space, but university officials said they can eventually accommodate 330,000 square feet of solar power generators.

The two megawatts provided by the equipment will be enough to power 4,600 computers and save the university $425,000 in electricity costs, officials said.