Green Extra
20 • queensjournal.ca
Friday, October 22, 2010
Solar panels are the future of Queen’s, prof says Continued from page 1
organizations in other cities to help them get started with their own challenges,” he said. “We would like to see friendly competitions to see how can install more solar panels.” Solar panel energy is often thought of as a highly expensive venture, but SWITCH explains on their website that despite the estimated $8,000 to $15,000 installation costs, it’s a lucrative endeavour. The SWITCH website explains that solar panels may provide you with a five per cent or higher return on assets for 20 years. The website goes on to say that in Kingston, “1 kW of panels facing south, angled at 45 degrees makes about 1200 kWh per year of electricity.” The Ontario government offers 80.2¢ per kilowatt hour under the microFIT program. “This means that over the course of the 20 year contract you will actually make money from your solar panels,” Champagne said. Associate professor of mechanical and materials engineering Joshua Pearce, who has been instrumental in the efforts
to bring solar power to Queen’s, said solar energy will provide a sustainable source of energy and will generate revenue. In October, a Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued to find a firm to design and install the panels. This followed a Request for Information (RFI) issued in August, which yielded 18 responses about the possible financial models and capable firms for PV installation. The RFP is based on the prospective installation of PVs on 66 main and west campus buildings(which make up 75 per cent of available roof space) as well as a ground mounted system located on approximately 80 acres of Queen’s-owned land. The RFP is a good sign, but not a guarantee, that solar panels will be coming to Queen’s. The 66 buildings at Queen’s that are suitable for solar panels are poised to yield great financial returns for the University. “[It] depend[s] on what kind of solar cells we decide to use,” he said, adding that solar panels have low operating costs, and would allow Queen’s to reduce its dependence on traditional utilities companies. Pearce said in addition to
The University hopes to add to Goodwin Hall. providing revenue for the University and helping to lower our greenhouse gas emissions, solar panel energy provides an opportunity for Queen’s to become a leader in renewable energy. “It’s important for institutions like Queen’s to be standing tall in the front of the line in the ongoing transition from dirty, polluting, and dangerous energy sources to
Photo by Justin Tang
the solar panels already on campus, including those at those that are renewable, safe, and create lots of jobs to help the economy,” he said. Solar panel energy does have some drawbacks, namely the initial cost and the reliability on weather conditions, which tend to be fairly volatile in Kingston. Regardless, Pearce said solar panels are the way of the future for Queen’s.
“Solar energy will make up a larger and growing significant fraction of our energy supply,” Pearce said. “I am quite confident that most of our rooftops will be covered with solar cells next year…there is enormous interest and Queen’s [will] move forward with a request for proposals any day now.”
Environmental extra-curriculars Interested in sustainability? Looking for a way to share your love of the environment with the Queen’s community? Here are just a few of the many campus and community organizations aimed at sustainability you can get involved with. Organization
Living Cities
Queen’s Backing Action on Climate Change (QBACC)
AMS Sustainability Office
Main Campus Residents’ Council (MCRC) Sustainability Office
How to get involved Living Cities is a student-run company that has taken on various sustainability projects including creating community gardens, teaching in schools, creating rooftop and indoor winter gardens and helping start the vermicomposting system in residence. Students can apply to be volunteer interns with Living Cities for a minimum of four months. Intern positions include research and education, operations support, waste cycling and urban agriculture. Applications are available on the website, where Living Cities also occasionally posts paid positions.
QBACC is a campus activist group that has taken on campaigns such as lobbying Principal Woolf to sign the University and College Presidents’ Climate Change Statement of Action and lobbying for the installation of solar panels. According to their website, they aim “to create an environmental social movement at Queen’s.” QBACC is open to anyone who wants to join. Those interested send an email to queensbacc@gmail.com to get involved. The Sustainability Office has been around since 2006 and was created to address sustainability issues at Queen’s and in the local community. They advocate sustainability within the AMS and the entire University and oversee three student-run committees: Students Taking Responsible Initiatives for a Viable Environment (STRIVE), the Residence Energy Challenge and Greenovations. Each year, the Sustainability Office hires three first-year interns, six committee co-chairs (two for each committee), a number of committee members, three deputies and a coordinator. The deadline has passed to apply for these positions for the current school year, but students can also volunteer by emailing AMS Sustainability Coordinator Jodi Rempel at sc@ams.queensu.ca The MCRC Sustainability Office aims to “facilitate the greening of residence and its residents.” The MCRC “Green Team” supports a number of initiatives, including, the composting team, recycling team, anti-food-wastage team, cleanup team and the on-call volunteer team. In addition to providing positions for interns, the MCRC Sustainability Office also welcomes volunteers. Those interested should email Sustainability Coordinator Lauren Long at sc@mcrcweb.org.
Website
livingcitiescompany.ca/home.html
wix.com/queenssolardesignteam/qbacc
myams.org/society/offices/sc
mcrcweb.org/v10/sustainability.php
— Holly Tousignant