The proposed addition of solar panels onto the EMU building has garnered excitement for those involved, but not everyone expects a smooth process for implementation. A lack of communication among those involved with the planning of the panels and the possible insignificant amount of energy produced by the panels may complicate matters.
ASUO officials announced May 21 that solar panels for the EMU were the winning idea for the “Bucks for Ducks” campaign, which released money from the overrealized fund. The fund holds extra student incidental fee money that accumulates when enrollment is higher than expected.EMU directors have not been able to meet with Ben Gates or Jocelyn Eisenberg, the students who came up with the idea; therefore, no one really knows how the panels will affect the building. In addition, the EMU Board must still vote on the panels before anything can be done.
Brian Hawley, an energy management engineer for the Eugene Water and Electric Board, said the panels are a statement by the ASUO that it cares about the environment.
“They’re making a commitment to a vision for a different future,” he said.
Although Hawley has not met with Gates or Eisenberg, he said the school will not be able to get a system that produces a high amount of energy with the $100,000 that will be allotted for the project.
“Right now, you’re looking at about a 10 kilowatt per hour system for $100,000,” he said. “This is going to be a fairly insignificant portion.”
Hawley said the EMU used approximately two million kilowatt hours last year. He estimated that a 1 kWh system would produce roughly 1,400 kilowatt hours for the entire year. On a 10 kWh system, the EMU would receive roughly 14,000 kilowatt hours from the system next year. Based on last year’s estimate, that would not even represent 1 percent of the total output needed for the EMU. But, he said, the future for solar panels may be improving.
“Solar is the cleanest source of power we have, but also the most expensive,” he said. “[But] they’re pretty nice and getting cost effective.”
Hawley said those involved need to meet to discuss how to use the panels in the most efficient manner.
“We need to coordinate how we get the biggest bang for our buck,” he said.
Despite the lack of considerable change the solar panels will bring, Hawley they are absolutely necessary for the future, and their use in the EMU is the right step toward creating an environmentally safe campus.
“We can’t keep burning fossil fuels and ignoring the environmental impacts of that,” he said. “I’m really glad students here have the vision and the foresight.”
Ben Buzbee, vice chairman for the EMU Board of Directors, said he would have liked to have met with the planning committee before the announcement was made concerning the panels.
“It didn’t upset me, but there may be some problems that can arise with our budgeting,” he said.
He said the budget for next year has already been set, and because of this, problems that could arise from maintenance and upkeep of the panels may push the budget even higher than expected.
But despite the lack of communication between the board and the ASUO, Buzbee said he is in favor of the solar panels.
“It has a lot of potential and we’ll see where it goes from here,” he said.
Susan Racette, associate director and business manager for the EMU, said $80,000 has been budgeted for the building’s electrical needs next year.
She said although she has not met with Gates or Eisenberg to discuss what the panels may mean for the future of the EMU, she is in favor of installing them.
“Most of us in the EMU are in favor of doing what we can to save energy,” she said. “This fits right in with what we’re trying to do to conserve energy.”
Dusty Miller, director of the EMU, said he is working to bring all groups involved together so that a plan for the panels can be set. He is in favor of placing the panels and said he believes everyone will agree.
“I can’t imagine it not being something the board doesn’t want to do,” he said.