Renewable Energy initiatives at NC’s most prominent schools
Appalachian State University has the reputation of being one of North Carolina’s greenest schools. Nestled in the mountains near Asheville, NC, ASU is a perfect testing ground for what can be accomplished by a community determined to make a positive change. The Renewable Energy Initiative at ASU has a mission of reducing the energy footprint of the university by using clean and renewable energy. One of their biggest undertakings was completed last year by purchasing and installing a half-million dollar wind turbine that is capable of producing 145,000 Kilowatt hours per year.
Similar initiatives such as the Renewable Energy Special Projects Committee at UNC-Chapel Hill are now going strong at some of NC’s leading universities. North Carolina State University is well known for their sponsorship of the North Carolina Solar Center and is now in its 28th year of running the NCSU Solar House.
What does all of this mean for us? For one thing it is great to know that North Carolina’s universities are teaching and supporting sustainable energy practices. Second, they are providing a proving ground for large renewable energy implementations. Thirdly, and probably most importantly, they are creating awareness with the students – an awareness that energy has to be generated and that it is not free, an awareness that sustainable/alternative energy sources are viable, and drive them to reduce their energy footprint to near zero.
