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Renewable Energy Initiative installs campus solar panels |
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Tuesday, 22 July 2008 |
by Edward Sztukowski
Intern News Reporter
The Appalachian State University Renewable Energy Initiative (REI) project set up a solar panel outside of Raley Hall on July 8.
“The panel generates 6,000 kilowatts per year, which is roughly the equivalent of one residential home,” said Brent J. Summerville, the project manager. “This is all energy that the university doesn’t have to pay for.”
The solar power works alongside the electric grid, meaning both can run at the same time and work together to power the university.
Students enacted the Appalachian Renewable Energy Initiative in 2004.
The project receives funds from Appalachian students and $5 from each
student’s fees each semester to fund it.
“We get around $65,000 each semester to fund different projects. The
biodiesel for AppalCARTs, the solar panel and the wind power at
Broyhill Inn & Conference Center are all funded by that money,”
said Summerville.
The solar panel is metered and is mixed with the electric grid at
Appalachian. The energy is used as soon as its produced, so whatever it
makes doesn’t have to be supplied by New River Power and Lighting, the
Appalachian electric company.
“There’s no moving parts, and it produces energy for decades without maintenance,” said Summerville.
The panel at Raley Hall is of an interesting design, which Summerville says is purely for aesthetic reasons.
“We tried to make it look like the Blue Ridge Mountains; it doesn’t
have any effect on the amount of energy it supplies but it looks nice.
We wanted to show people how you can be artistic with solar energy,”
said Summerville.
Summerville says the student response has been positive, with many compliments to the design.
“It’s in a really good location and it looks really good,” said A. Whit
Wright, a junior appropriate technology major. “There are always people
at Raley [Hall], so it’s a great education opportunity as well.”
The solar panel was installed by Appalachian graduates who came back to take part in the process.
“It was really great to have graduates come back and apply what they
learned at the university, especially when it’s in their field,” said
Summerville.
There are already plans to put more solar panels around campus, and
plans to incorporate wind power at the Broyhill Inn & Conference
Center are currently underway.
“There’s been a big boom in alternative energy around the nation and
campus,” said Wright. “It’s a really good step in the right direction.”
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