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Today we're here to acknowledge the installation of solar panels on Baker
Sports Complex, which I understand will not only heat the pool,
but provide more energy than that.
Almost three years ago Davidson College and then President Tom Ross started an initiative
to bring renewable energy campus in a in a large scale way.
And the way we've approached this is really two projects here on the roof
of Baker Sports Complex.
Baker Sports Complex is our largest roof, and our best application for solar.
The two projects are a solar photovoltaic array, and a solar
thermal array.
One of them is photovoltaic, and that produces electricity, and then the other one is
solar thermal.
and that basically absorbs light from the sun and converts it to heat, and then the heat
heats up water, and it's used in the pool.
The solar panels are also a huge educational asset. Already students from
diverse disciplines such as economics, environmental science,
anthropology, have come together in a witness and document the installation
process, they've consulted with professionals in the energy field,
and they've learned a lot about the challenges and opportunities in solar energy.
We engaged a group of interested students
before we began construction,
allowed them access to the roof and access to the contractors to ask questions.
And the students engaged with them and actually watched the entire construction process and
understand a lot
how this is wired, how it works, what its produces
and what it takes yo install.
One of the things that's most unique about Davidson is the way that we aim to
practice what we preach, so that the values students learn in the classroom
can directly translate
into the lives they lead here at the college.
So it's something to be proud of
and to honor this commitment that Davidson has expressed to taking care of the
planet on which we live.