After a year of campaigning, advocates for green energy are close to powering the new Erb Memorial Union with solar panels.
OSPIRG and the Sustainability Coalition have been advocating for increased solar energy use in Oregon throughout the year, but within the past few weeks, both groups have made statewide progress concerning their cause.
During ASUO elections, OSPIRG proposed a ballot measure that asked students if they supported the goal of Oregon’s energy consumption rising from 0.02 percent to 10 percent by 2025. The measure won by 89 percent.
Members of OSPIRG then met with Oregon Energy Advisor Margi Hoffman and Governor Kate Brown on June 3 to discuss how the state can increase solar energy consumption.
In states where solar energy is becoming more popular, governors have been involved and active in creating a plan, said ASUO Finance Director Shawn Stevenson, who was present at the meeting on June 3. Stevenson hopes Kate Brown will follow suit by working with OSPIRG and others, he said.
“Margi sounds happy to really work with us and open the door for the cooperation with OSPIRG,” Stevenson said.
Environmental Oregon intern Caitlin Feely said the meeting was a lot about developing the relationship between OSPIRG members and environmental advisers. OSPIRG can come up with ideas concerning solar energy and sustainability, then reach out to the advisers for guidance.
Stevenson added that solar energy consumption is also supported at University of Oregon, specifically by the ASUO.
The Sustainability Coalition has been pushing the idea of placing solar panels on top of the newly renovated EMU. They recently requested a grant from outside the UO to help fund the solar panels, but did not receive it.
A few weeks ago, though, ASUO allocated $40,000 of its unused funds toward developing the solar panels. Although the coalition originally asked for $50,000, it is almost certain that the solar panels are being built.
People involved in the building of the new EMU want it to be rated high on the sustainability scale, said EMU Director Laurie Woodward. They want the building to have a large number of LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) points, which are used by the U.S. Green Building Council to evaluate how environmentally friendly a structure is.
If the EMU has at least 80 LEED points, the building will be labeled “platinum,” which is the highest level of sustainability.
Solar panels are a small part of this, and will secure the building with three LEED points.
“We could use the student union as a teaching place for students,” Woodward said. “As a place to share and encourage values of sustainability and looking at environmental impact.”
The entire project will cost $150,000 and money allocated toward building the EMU will help fund the project, she said, adding that it will take several decades to take back the cost.
Students like Dalton Fusco, a member of OSPIRG and the Sustainability Coalition, say it is worth it.
“I think that Oregon should be a leader in green building,” Fusco said. “And that was a way to show other universities and the rest of Oregon that we are.”