Photo via Unsplash
Arizona State University has been selected as the county’s most innovative school for the third straight year, according to the U.S. News and World Report. Solar energy is one innovative category the school has been greatly expanding upon.
The U.S. Department of Energy awarded the university six awards, totaling over four million dollars, for the Fulton School’s innovative and affordable new solar technologies, according to biz journals.com. You can read more about their projects here.
Dr. Mike Pasqualetti, a Professor at Arizona State University’s School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, says that “right now has been the right time for solar.”
The abundance of sunlight in the state of Arizona has made it easy for ASU to be at the forefront of these new technologies and developments. However, Pasqualetti says that even with the new developments, solar power will not expand in Arizona until there are government policies that support it.
But that doesn’t stop the university from using their own technology. In the video below, Dr. Pasqualetti discusses the importance of solar energy and how they are purposing it at ASU today.
ASU’s Director of Energy Innovations, Gerry DeRosa, is dedicated to renewable practices. As the head of the Facilities Development and Management Department, DeRosa takes charge on the sustainable options and projects for the university.
Photo: PowerParasol.com
One such project, the “Power Parasol,” resides at ASU Tempe campus, near the centralized area of the Memorial Union. According to Pasqualetti, the space is more than just rows of panels, because it’s utilized for concerts, events, and for bringing the ASU community together in a new (and most importantly, shaded) spot on campus.
“We were looking for something more than just energy… we wanted to transform the space,” DeRosa said.
“So that’s what we did.”
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