{"id":419,"date":"2014-03-31T13:57:41","date_gmt":"2014-03-31T17:57:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.eckerd.edu\/?p=231"},"modified":"2023-09-22T11:11:41","modified_gmt":"2023-09-22T15:11:41","slug":"solar-power-is-latest-eckerd-college-sustainability-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/blog\/solar-power-is-latest-eckerd-college-sustainability-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Solar power is latest Eckerd College sustainability project"},"content":{"rendered":"

The latest Eckerd College sustainability project is tucked away on the roof of the Environmental Studies and Behavioral Sciences buildings.<\/p>\n

It is Eckerd\u2019s first foray into solar power. With 216 panels, the 50 kilowatt system has already saved the College nearly $3,000 in electrical costs since it went live in late October.<\/p>\n

The $150,000 project recently qualified for an $80,000 rebate under Duke Energy\u2019s SunSense program, cutting Eckerd\u2019s upfront costs by more than half. The system is expected to pay for itself in eight to 10 years, said Evan Bollier, who oversees Eckerd\u2019s sustainability efforts.<\/p>\n

The system offsets 100 percent of the power needed for the two buildings, except for the power used for air conditioning, said Bill McKenna, Eckerd\u2019s director of planning, development and construction.<\/p>\n

The amount of electricity the system produces increases during the peak months of April, May and June. The system was built by SunQuest Energy in St. Petersburg.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are excited to be able to add solar\u00a0power to our growing inventory of sustainability projects at Eckerd,\u2019\u2019 Bollier said.<\/p>\n

Eckerd College is one of the 322 most environmentally responsible colleges in the U.S. and Canada, according to The Princeton Review. Other sustainability projects include:<\/p>\n