UCF Offers Unique Exhibition of Solar Energy Installations

The University of Central Florida has put a significant amount of time and funding into solar energy installations around campus, and now, they are attracting the attention of solar energy enthusiasts from across the state. UCF was recently featured as a part of the Florida Renewable Energy Association’s local tour of clean energy projects.

This was the 20th Annual National Solar Tour hosted by the group, in coordination with its national branch, the American Solar Energy Society. The tour has been showcasing solar energy technologies throughout the country, spreading awareness and drawing together more than 160,000 tourists to visit 3,200 different solar projects.

The Orlando tour featured a number of homes in the area, but UCF was the true highlight. The university showcased several projects on campus, four of its most unique installations taking the spotlight.

One of these was the largest and newest installations on campus, a 107 kilowatt collection of photovoltaic solar panels with enough energy to power up to 50 buildings. The tour also visited the Memory Mall and the nearby solar-powered charging station, as well as the Harris Corporation Engineering Center with its 22 kilowatt roof installation. The photovoltaic panels on the awning of the Engineering II building were an additional part of the tour, proving that solar energy equipment truly can be multifunctional.

UCF has long been working toward building a greener campus after committing in 2007 to be “climate neutral” by 2050. Solar enthusiast tours like the National Solar Tour are continuing to build an interest for a number of communities throughout Florida, and as the cost of solar energy equipment continues to decline, the accessibility of these installations is getting greater and greater. UCF is just one of Orlando’s clean energy proprietors, and chances are good other local communities will be quick to follow in the university’s footsteps.