UAB Launching New Solar Energy System

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2016/08/Solar_1.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:640;s:6:"height";i:430;s:4:"file";s:19:"2016/08/Solar_1.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:19:"Solar_1-336x226.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:226;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:19:"Solar_1-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:17:"Solar_1-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:19:"Solar_1-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:19:"Solar_1-600x430.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:430;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:19:"Solar_1-463x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:463;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:19:"Solar_1-394x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:394;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:19:"Solar_1-600x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:19:"Solar_1-600x430.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:430;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:19:"Solar_1-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:230723;s:14:"optimized_size";i:160277;s:7:"percent";d:30.530000000000001;}s:5:"sizes";a:9:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:47:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/08/Solar_1.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:86690;s:14:"optimized_size";i:58629;s:7:"percent";d:32.369999999999997;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:55:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/08/Solar_1-140x140.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:6264;s:14:"optimized_size";i:4546;s:7:"percent";d:27.43;}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:55:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/08/Solar_1-336x226.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:18815;s:14:"optimized_size";i:13634;s:7:"percent";d:27.539999999999999;}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:55:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/08/Solar_1-600x338.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:42715;s:14:"optimized_size";i:28045;s:7:"percent";d:34.340000000000003;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:55:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/08/Solar_1-300x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:20712;s:14:"optimized_size";i:15073;s:7:"percent";d:27.23;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:55:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/08/Solar_1-463x311.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:31164;s:14:"optimized_size";i:22643;s:7:"percent";d:27.34;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:55:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/08/Solar_1-394x265.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:24363;s:14:"optimized_size";i:17707;s:7:"percent";d:27.32;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Esther Ciammachilli
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => WBHM
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

)
1619463314 
1471513410

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.”

Closer view of the solar panels. These will produce roughly 10 percent of the Rec Center's daily power usage.

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’s 6-week abortion ban will have a ‘snowball effect’ on residents across the South

Abortion rights advocates say the ban will likely force many to travel farther for abortion care and endure pregnancy and childbirth against their will.

Attitudes among Alabama lawmakers softening on Medicaid expansion

Alabama is one of ten states which has not expanded Medicaid. Republican leaders have pushed back against the idea for years.

Birmingham is 3rd worst in the Southeast for ozone pollution, new report says

The American Lung Association's "State of the Air" report shows some metro areas in the Gulf States continue to have poor air quality.

Why haven’t Kansas and Alabama — among other holdouts — expanded access to Medicaid?

Only 10 states have not joined the federal program that expands Medicaid to people who are still in the "coverage gap" for health care

Once praised, settlement to help sickened BP oil spill workers leaves most with nearly nothing

Thousands of ordinary people who helped clean up after the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico say they got sick. A court settlement was supposed to help compensate them, but it hasn’t turned out as expected.

Q&A: How harm reduction can help mitigate the opioid crisis

Maia Szalavitz discusses harm reduction's effectiveness against drug addiction, how punitive policies can hurt people who need pain medication and more.

More Environment Coverage