UAB installs solar array
The University of Alabama at Birmingham is now home to the largest solar-energy system in the Magic City.
The 100-panel array ― the university’s first commercial-scale solar installation ― on top of the UAB Campus Recreation Center was installed by Vulcan Solar Power and can be seen from Red Mountain.
Some smaller solar projects have been done on campus in the past but nothing on this scale. In fact, the sheer size and visibility of the installation may help generate some useful public discussion of environmental issues, according to UAB sustainability coordinator Julie Price. “It is a great pinnacle project that will open the door for us to engage people about solar energy and other facets of sustainability,” she said.
The installation is big enough to power four or five homes or one small business and will help save the university an estimated $600 per month in utility costs. In addition, students and faculty members will be able to use the installation for classroom activities and research projects, and UAB Emergency Management and other departments will use weather sensors on the system.
Iron City Ink recently sat down with Price to find out more about the new installation, the possibility of additional solar projects and what a sustainable campus may look like in the future.
Q: What are some of the classes or departments that will likely use the solar array learning opportunity?
A: The primary courses will be in the School of Engineering, particularly in mechanical and electrical engineering. However, other classes in public health, government and business, for example, can use the installation’s costs, returns and applicable government and utility policies to examine the ways we can best meet our energy needs.
Q: “We are treating our campus as a living lab,” you said. Why is that important?
A: The UAB Facilities Division has committed to not only building, operating and maintaining our buildings to support the many needs of UAB, like residential life, classroom and office buildings, research and patient care, but also to use our building and grounds to test new technologies and learn from them. This engages our UAB staff, faculty, students and the surrounding community.
Q: Are there other solar projects planned or under discussion for the campus?
A: As part of our comprehensive energy plan, every building has been evaluated for efficiency improvements, and we are incrementally performing upgrades that save money and reduce energy consumption and emissions. We are also setting some ambitious sustainability goals as part of our five-year strategic sustainability plan, and perhaps additional solar power will be among those goals.
Q: What will large campuses like UAB look like from a sustainability standpoint in five or 10 years? What’s the future?
A: Bike lanes, composting, interdisciplinary curriculum, green building technologies, and more.
For more information about UAB’s sustainability efforts, visit uab.edu/sustainability.