The Ecological Design Center will unveil its new solar kiosk at the Student Recreation Center today at 12:30 p.m.
The kiosk is the third and final portion of a $100,000 project to bring solar energy to campus.
Located on the wall opposite the rec center’s rental desk, the solar kiosk will allow students to see real-time data about how much energy the solar panels atop the rec center are producing.
The EDC said in a statement that the three goals of the solar project were to produce clean, renewable energy, promote Oregon’s reputation as a “green” campus and generate energy that would save money for students.
Jesse Jenkins, a computer science major who designed the kiosk’s software, said the kiosk will be a source of information for students about the possibilities of solar power.
“It’s designed to raise awareness about solar power and excite some students as well,” he said.
In the spring of 2001, the EDC was given a $100,000 grant from the ASUO to install solar panels on University rooftops. In 2002, a 3-kilowatt solar panel was installed on the EMU, and in 2005 the panels on the rec center began operating.
“We chose the EMU and the rec center because they are student-funded,” Jenkins said. “We wanted it to be for students.”
Jenkins said unlike the EMU’s solar panel, the rec center’s panels are not clearly visible. The kiosk, he said, will help alert people to their presence and energy benefits.
In addition to the kiosk, the EDC has created a Web site to illustrate the benefits the solar panels are creating. For example, users can see how many cups of coffee the panels could brew using its energy.
To see the solar panel’s energy intake, go to edc.uoregon.edu/solar.