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Vol State goes green by adding solar pannels and vehicle chargers

By: Miguel Detillier
Solar panels and electric vehicle charging stations are helping to protect the environment at Volunteer State Community College.
Vol State are providing solar panels to the Randy and Lois Wood Campus Center along with the electric vehicle charging station across from John B. Wallace Health Sciences Building North near the Thigpen Library as part of a project sponsored by the Campus Sustainability Committee to help utilize campus sustainability fees and to take the resource efficiency steps needed to make the Steinhauer-Rogan-Black Humanities Building LEED Certified, according to the college blog, the Insider.
This blog also explains that the solar panels have been mounted on top of the physical plant cooling stations, and that Plant Operations will be placing a marker to show the solar panel stats to students and visitors, and that there are two power cords available for recharging electric cars and can be free to use for anyone.
The energy from the panels goes directly into the Wood Campus Center power grid and the panels cost about $6,686, according to the Insider. This blog also said that the four panels can produce 1,124 kilowatt hours a year, and is projected to save about 1.4 barrels of oil each year.
“The charging stations are up and running are open for anyone to use,” said William Newman, Senior Director of Plant Operations. “The solar panels will be wired in and operational by this week.”
“I’m excited to have the solar panels and the electric car charging stations on campus because it encourages us to think more sustainability,” said Le-Ellen Dayhuff, Assistant Professor of Mathematics. “And because I think it offsets some of the energy costs around Vol State.”
The Insider explains that the Sustainability Committee has been actively using the fee money for campus improvements, and the funds have been used to install energy-effcient LED lighting in the J.T. Fox Maintenance Building and on the Highland Crest campus. This blog also said that that the committee welcomes suggestions to help protect the environment on campus.
Besides providing solar panels and electric vehicle charging stations, Vol State also provides hydration stations to encourage people to reuse drinking containers since plastic water bottles are one of the biggest challenges to waste disposal, according to the Insider. This blog also confirms that Vol State also offers recycling bins to help students recycle plastic drinking containers and is paid for by the Committee, and that the committee members are suggesting everybody to recycle to provide a sustainable environment at Vol State.
The Insider explains that future possibilities for the Committee to help protect the environment around campus include solar umbrellas that would provide cell phone and laptop charging stations for students working outside at picnic tables.
This blog also said that students can contact Keith Bell, Associate Professor of Geography, at
keith.bell@volstate.edu for suggestions to the Committee to help protect the environment at Vol State.

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