A photo voltaic array is on show close to the Southern Oregon College Farm in Ashland. The varsity introduced this week that it acquired $2 million from Congress for extra photo voltaic installations. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune]
Southern Oregon College congratulated Congress on Tuesday for securing $2 million to pay for extra photo voltaic arrays on campus.
The funds — made potential by a $1.7 billion federal appropriations invoice that cleared Congress final week — will go towards SOU’s final objective of turning into the nation’s first energy-independent college.
“This allocation will permit us to take a big step towards our objective, and it reinforces our establishment’s dedication to environmental stewardship, monetary prudence and accountable management,” stated SOU President Rick Bailey in a information launch. “We sit up for beginning our subsequent section of photo voltaic installations to additional scale back our dependence on {the electrical} grid and the day-to-day prices of operating a twenty first century campus.”
The brand new federal allocation is called Forging Oregon’s Renewable Vitality Supply Transition By means of Reimagining Training + Vitality (FOREST TREE) Mission, based on a launch from US senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden.
The venture will assist pay for extra photo voltaic arrays on SOU’s parking tons and rooftops, SOU stated, however not a lot data was supplied about how the $2 million will likely be used.
Joe Mosley, director of neighborhood and media relations, informed the Mail Tribune on Tuesday that it was unclear which buildings or which parking tons would host the brand new arrays, because the college must undergo a request for proposals course of to discover a firm to do the upgrades. .
“That is a part of the entire venture, the $2 million,” Mosley stated. “That is the query – which firm is the most effective? It isn’t simply based mostly on value, however it could actually do what we hope to realize the most effective.
Mosley stated he is unsure when the RFP will exit, however the course of will probably be “fast-tracked” over a number of months.
Moreover, the SOU spokesperson was not sure when the brand new photo voltaic arrays could be totally put in.
“It is unimaginable to take a position on that till we see some responses to the RFP,” Mosley stated. “I consider there will likely be an occasion in 2023, however I am unable to say for positive.”
Mosley stated the college envisions parking constructions lined in photo voltaic panels.
“Principally, this venture is the place we begin placing some photo voltaic arrays within the parking tons. That is going to be one in every of our large focuses going ahead,” he stated.
SOU is celebrating a $2 million rake in federal funds simply two months after the Oregon Division of Vitality gave the college $1 million to assist pay for photo voltaic arrays at The Hawk Eating Commons and Lithia Motors Pavilion/Pupil Recreation Heart complicated.
In September 2021, the college introduced photo voltaic arrays on the student-run farm, positioned off Walker Avenue.
SOU’s first photo voltaic array — a 6-kilowatt venture with 24 photo voltaic panels — was put in on the roof of Hannon Library in 2000.
SOU at present has 9 photo voltaic arrays on campus, in addition to an array on the RCC/SOU Increased Training Heart in Medford, and a pole-mounted array put in final 12 months by a nonprofit on land leased from in SOU.
“I believe sustainability and environmental consciousness have been a part of SOU’s general values for years, and it is being expressed much more at this time,” Mosley stated.
Name reporter Kevin Opsahl at 541-776-4476 or kopsahl@rosebudmedia.com. Comply with him on Twitter @KevJourno.
