{"id":39871,"date":"2018-09-24T14:01:28","date_gmt":"2018-09-24T18:01:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=39871"},"modified":"2018-10-02T14:18:25","modified_gmt":"2018-10-02T18:18:25","slug":"solar-in-a-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2018\/solar-in-a-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Solar in a Day"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A traditional barn raising brings together a group of neighbors to collectively build a barn for a community member in a single day. Eastern Mennonite University students gave the longstanding tradition a 21st century twist Saturday: a solar barn raising.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Around 70 volunteers installed solar panels on the roof of EMU\u2019s University Commons provided by Secure Futures, a solar energy development company based in Staunton.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s the same principle of neighbors or community coming together to build something that would normally take weeks and weeks, and you do it in one day with volunteers,\u201d said Anthony Smith, CEO and president of Secure Futures.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Solar power is a form of renewable clean energy that eliminates the emission of greenhouse gases and reduces the Earth\u2019s carbon footprint. It can also reduce energy costs.<\/div>\n
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The project has been a student-led initiative by Earth Keepers, an environmental campus organization.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In 2010, Secure Futures helped EMU install solar panels on top of Sadie A. Hartzler Library. A second solar project for the University Commons fell through and a natural gas generator was installed instead.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThat created a lot of energy of students and staff wanting to come together to fund and organize our own solar project,\u201d said Andy King, 20, an EMU junior and co-leader of Earth Keepers. \u201cWe felt since one of EMU\u2019s five core missions is sustainability that putting a natural gas generator didn\u2019t really serve that mission and we wanted to live that out in a way and show that we still care.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Secure Futures donated $50,000 and the students raised money through EMU\u2019s crowdfunding site to help cover the cost of the project, which totaled $120,000. Additional funds came through donations from alumni, area churches and the EMU senior class gift.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The project started out as just adding solar panels to Roselawn, a former dorm that now serves as office and academic space, but the group was able to include the University Commons when Secure Futures came on board. Green Hill Solar, based in Harrisonburg, also was involved in the effor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThat was really great because it allowed us to effectively double the amount of energy we\u2019re able to produce from this,\u201d King said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Approximately 200 solar panels, or 65 kilowatts of solar power, were installed on the roof of the University Commons on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Smith said the solar array that was installed at the EMU library was the largest of its kind in Virginia in 2010. He also said the University Commons project is the first university solar barn raising in the country.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cEMU is serving in a leadership role, providing an example to other universities as how to engage students in making a difference,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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On Saturday, the student volunteers climbed to the top of the two-story building to place the panels.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cWe have a lift that is putting the solar panels on the roof and the students are essentially just carrying those over and placing them on the racks,\u201d said Mim Beck, 20, a junior EMU student and co-leader of Earth Keepers.<\/div>\n
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The students also placed bricks down on the racks to provide balance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The project shows that students can make a difference on campus and in their community, King said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s certainly going to offset some of the energy being produced by our natural gas generator, which puts carbon in the atmosphere,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I think it\u2019s more this vision by the students and seeing that if we come together and really want to have sustainable energy on this campus, we can make it happen. It started with the students and ended with the students.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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King and Beck hope the project will lead to more solar panels being installed on campus, or jumpstart other green initiatives.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWe have an array on the library already, so we\u2019re adding to that, and we could add to this in the future,\u201d Beck said. \u201cOr spark other sustainable projects.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A traditional barn raising brings together a group of neighbors to collectively build a barn for a community member in a single day. 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