ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS (April 22, 2020) — On the eve of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, Augustana College President Steven Bahls is announcing early plans to place solar panels on four campus buildings.
Once fully-installed, solar power will provide about 8% of the college’s annual electric energy-needs.
Solar units will be added to the rooftops of four buildings:
- Centennial Hall
- Roy J Carver Center for Physical Education
- Westerlin Residence Center
- PepsiCo Recreation Center
The solar agreement will be a partnership between Augustana College and Keystone Power Holdings, a renewable energy company based in Paoli, Pennsylvania. The agreement will be a 25-year lease in which Augustana buys electricity at a fixed price while Keystone retains ownership and maintenance responsibilities.
Augustana is working closely with Keystone and anticipates all plans will be finished in the coming weeks. Plans call for installation of the solar panels to begin this summer. The entire project is expected to be done in early 2021 at the same time energy generation will start.
President Bahls credits a campus task force of students, faculty, and staff for a renewed focus on alternative energy-sources and efforts to combat greenhouse gas-emissions and global warming.
“Augustana students are thinkers and doers. And where possible, we want to support our students in realizing their ideas for the college,” said Bahls. “Augie students want to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and that makes sense for the world.”
The work of Augustana’s Climate Change Task Force also prompted:
- An upgrade to all campus lighting to LED, with anticipated savings of $120,000 annually
- The addition of pocket pollinator gardens on campus
- Renewed focus on composting
- Development of a new green initiative fund
- Continued focus on environmental studies as a growing major and minor
- Further integration of the Upper Mississippi Center into the Quad-Cities community
The Climate Change Task Force created a commitment statement:
“It is the moral responsibility of Augustana College to take an active and effective role in reducing its environmental impact on the planet, and foster a community that values environmental sustainability. Consistent with our moral obligation, we will build an equitable culture of conservation that integrates principles of ecological stewardship into our curriculum, operations, and physical plant.”
Bahls added, “I’m really excited about this project and all that is to come. It’s as important now as ever that we strive to be stewards of the Earth."
Founded in 1860, Augustana College is a selective four-year residential college of the liberal arts and sciences. Augustana is recognized for the innovative program Augie Choice, which provides each student up to $2,000 to pursue a high-impact learning experience such as study-abroad, an internship, or research with a professor. Current students and alumni include 176 Academic All-Americans, two Nobel laureates, 13 college presidents, and other distinguished leaders. The college enrolls 2,500 students and is located along one of the world’s most important waterways, the Mississippi River, in a community that reflects the diversity of the United States.
