UAB Launching New Solar Energy System
On a hot and cloudy day on the roof of UAB’s Campus Recreation Center, row upon row of solar panels are taking in the light. At just three stories, the roof and its new accessories can be seen from adjacent buildings in every direction.
“If you’re standing here and you look around 360 degrees people can see the system,” UAB’s sustainability coordinator, Julie Price, says that was intentional. “And I think that’s the first step to our mission as a sustainability program is public engagement.”
Rec Center patrons will also be able to see the system in action on a monitor inside the gym. But solar power does have some drawbacks. For example, it can take several years before UAB actually sees a return on its roughly $122,000 investment.
“Since we’re a tax-exempt institution, we can’t get the federal tax incentive, so our payback period is a little longer,” says Price. “Plus we have lower educational rates, which is beneficial for us but when you’re trying to pay back a system and you have inherently lower rates, that makes your payback a little bit longer.”
Esther Ciammachilli,WBHM
Closer view of the solar panels. These will produce roughly 10 percent of the Rec Center’s daily power usage.
The federal government does offer tax incentives to companies that install solar panels. This can make the payback time less than 10 years. But UAB is exempt, so their payback will be closer to 20 years. After that, Price says, the energy being produced by the system – roughly 10 percent of the Rec Center’s daily usage – will be free energy.
The project is part of a larger plan at UAB to use buildings as incubators for new sustainable technology, she adds.
Florida lawmakers try to balance condo safety with cost
Florida lawmakers have sent the governor a bill that would provide financial relief to condo owners. The measure softens mandates passed after the deadly 2021 collapse of a condo tower in Surfside.
Actress and ‘Laugh-In’ comedian Ruth Buzzi dies at 88
Buzzi, who was best known for her regular appearances on the NBC variety TV show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, died on Thursday at her home in Texas.
A telescope’s powerful new tool may offer a better way to predict solar storms
The Daniel K. Inouye telescope snapped a clear image of sunspots.
Warren Buffett announces his retirement and warns the trade war will hurt America
The billionaire investor, now 94, also said he would be resigning as CEO at the end of the year. He spoke at Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholder meeting known as "Woodstock for Capitalists."
Army Black Hawk helicopter forces two jetliners to abort landings at DCA
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says he will ask Defense Department officials why an Army Black Hawk helicopter violated flight restrictions at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Opinion: Curse other drivers? So do the pros — but they get fined
Formula 1 racing has a ban on cursing, with fines starting at about 46 thousand dollars. NPR's Scott Simon explains why drivers are darn unhappy with that.
