The Ridgeview Campus has officially reached net-zero electricity. Over the past twelve months, solar canopies covering the campus parking lots and the covered walkway to Freeman Fieldhouse produced as much electricity as every building on campus consumed.
The 2.1-megawatt solar array, completed last year, now shades about 900 parking spaces, a welcome relief during Lowcountry summers. Combined with the LEED-Gold design of the campus buildings, LED lighting, and smart thermostats, the canopy is expected to save the college more than $400,000 a year in energy costs. Those savings go directly back into student programs.
Every dollar we do not spend on electricity is a dollar we can spend on tutoring, scholarships, and lab equipment. Sustainability here is about students as much as it is about the planet.
— Robert Chen-Whitaker, Vice President for Finance & Operations
A living classroom
The project doubles as a teaching tool. Electrical technology students helped with installation as part of a paid apprenticeship, and environmental science classes track real-time energy data on dashboards in the Ridgeview STEM Center and Ridgeview Commons. Students in the Hawks Green Team are now studying battery storage options so the campus can serve as an emergency shelter during hurricanes.
The college’s next sustainability goals include expanding electric vehicle charging, restoring native plants along Cooper’s Run, and reducing food waste in Ridgeview Commons dining by half.