With the help of the sun, ASU could soon save some green through green energy.
ASU has accepted several proposals from solar energy companies to install solar panels on buildings around the Tempe campus.
The project would be one of the largest solar movements of any university campus in the nation, said Jonathan Fink, director of the Sustainability Institute.
Researchers from the institute looked at many renewable energy sources and found that solar energy would be more economical for the energy needs of the Tempe campus, Fink said. The Institute collected proposals through Jan. 17.
"The price of energy is going up steadily and I think that it makes more sense economically now than it ever has," he said.
Fink added that he thinks the solar panels would not only help to conserve energy and save money, but would also have a great effect in the campus' educational forum, as well as in the world around it.
"From an educational standpoint, I think it will convey to the students and to faculty and staff and the community that ASU is very serious about addressing this global sustainability issue," Fink said. "This is an important message that we feel needs to be conveyed."
By placing the solar panels on the largest and flattest buildings, ASU hopes to generate 40 percent of Tempe campus's electrical power.
ASU would pay no upfront cost for the panels or for their installation, but the University would instead pay a monthly payment for the energy produced for a minimum of 15 years, Fink said. The University wouldn't discuss how much the monthly payment could be.
"A lot of people saw it as a logical next step for the University, particularly those involved in facilities and management and also those of us involved in sustainability," Fink said. "People recognize that, if you see solar panels, you understand that the owners of them are trying to make a difference through energy generation."
David Brixen, the assistant vice president of Capital and Facilities Services, is among those heading the solar panel efforts.
Brixen said the solar panels would mean lower costs than what the campus currently pays for with electric power from local distributor APS.
He added that the use of solar power could be extended to the other three campuses.
"It's a great idea because we live in an area where we get over 300 days of sunshine and so we're in an excellent location to use solar energy," Brixen said. "We should do everything we can do to minimize using the energy produced by fossil fuels and looking at renewable energy sources."
The University is currently reviewing the submitted proposals and will make a decision within the next two months, Brixen said.
Reach the reporter at allison.gatlin@asu.edu.
