Spring Break
Sac State goes green with solar energy deal
State Hornet Staff
Issue date: 11/5/08 Section: Opinion
Sacramento State is making good on its goal of becoming a more energy-efficient campus.
Last week, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced California State University's partnership with SunEdison, a company that specializes in solar energy solutions. Staples, Whole Foods, Kohl's and CalTrans also use SunEdison's services. Sac State is a relative late-bloomer when it comes to dealing with SunEdison. CSU Chico, San Luis Obispo and Dominguez Hills each partnered with the company in 2006. CSU San Bernardino joined in 2007. The Hornet is excited for the green energy initiative, even though it believes this should have been accomplished sooner.
According to the governor's official website, the Department of General Services brokered the deal between SunEdison and the CSU. SunEdison is responsible for the building, financing and operation of the panels. Sac State will also have access to renewable energy at prices lower than retail. The contract with SunEdison will last for 20 years.
This is a wise move that will help us become greener and more cost-effective. The university still needs to step it up when it comes to having a better recycling program on campus and making alternative modes of transportation, such as the Hornet shuttle, more accessible.
Seeing that the California State University system is the biggest university system in the nation, it will be interesting to see if other collegiate systems follow our example.
The university will produce eight megawatts, or 8,000,000 watts, of energy from the panels. While the solar panels will account for only two percent of Sac State's 43 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year, the energy they produce is equal to the yearly consumption of over 1,200 homes, according to a Sac State press release.
Schwarzenegger praised California's efforts saying, "This partnership is a good deal for the state, the planet and our economy - all at no cost to taxpayers."
This move certainly isn't the cure-all for our foreign dependence on energy or the remedy for our ailing economy, but it certainly is a move that we can be proud of.
Nat Martin, Sac State's energy conservation coordinator, said it best, "It may not seem like much, but every little bit helps and it's renewable."
The State Hornet Staff can be reached at opinion@statehornet.com
Last week, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced California State University's partnership with SunEdison, a company that specializes in solar energy solutions. Staples, Whole Foods, Kohl's and CalTrans also use SunEdison's services. Sac State is a relative late-bloomer when it comes to dealing with SunEdison. CSU Chico, San Luis Obispo and Dominguez Hills each partnered with the company in 2006. CSU San Bernardino joined in 2007. The Hornet is excited for the green energy initiative, even though it believes this should have been accomplished sooner.
According to the governor's official website, the Department of General Services brokered the deal between SunEdison and the CSU. SunEdison is responsible for the building, financing and operation of the panels. Sac State will also have access to renewable energy at prices lower than retail. The contract with SunEdison will last for 20 years.
This is a wise move that will help us become greener and more cost-effective. The university still needs to step it up when it comes to having a better recycling program on campus and making alternative modes of transportation, such as the Hornet shuttle, more accessible.
Seeing that the California State University system is the biggest university system in the nation, it will be interesting to see if other collegiate systems follow our example.
The university will produce eight megawatts, or 8,000,000 watts, of energy from the panels. While the solar panels will account for only two percent of Sac State's 43 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year, the energy they produce is equal to the yearly consumption of over 1,200 homes, according to a Sac State press release.
Schwarzenegger praised California's efforts saying, "This partnership is a good deal for the state, the planet and our economy - all at no cost to taxpayers."
This move certainly isn't the cure-all for our foreign dependence on energy or the remedy for our ailing economy, but it certainly is a move that we can be proud of.
Nat Martin, Sac State's energy conservation coordinator, said it best, "It may not seem like much, but every little bit helps and it's renewable."
The State Hornet Staff can be reached at opinion@statehornet.com
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