SAN ANTONIO – The University of the Incarnate Word’s Brooks campus library was one of five institutions internationally awarded a grant to support the installation of rooftop solar panels, according to a press release from the university.
The library for UIWs School of Osteopathic Medicine — located at Brooks on the Southeast Side — will be the site of the future solar project, which is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 354 metric tons annually, said Dr. Benjamin Miele, chair of the UIW Sustainability Advisory Board.
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“We chose the UIW School of Osteopathic Medicine Library because it is at the medical campus, and renewable energy factors into broader conversations about community health and environmental justice,” Miele said. “We will showcase the positive impacts of solar energy to communities in south-side San Antonio by reframing climate solutions as opportunities to invest in public health.”
UIW and the other recipients will use the grant funding to offset the cost of installation and reduce their electricity expenditures.
The university has made sustainability improvements a core part of its mission, even adopting a sustainability commitment in April 2015.
Miele credits this new project to the work of Daniel Potter and Dr. Okan Caglayan, two researchers working in the field of solar photovoltaics — panels that convert thermal energy into electricity.
“This array is a vital step forward for UIW’s sustainability efforts ... we look forward to more opportunities to install even more renewable energy across UIW’s campuses,” Miele said.
Miele said the medical school at Brooks was selected because of the crossroads between environmental justice and community health.
“We will showcase the positive impacts of solar energy to communities in south-side San Antonio by reframing climate solutions as opportunities to invest in public health,” he said.
EBSCO will cover the initial installation, while the university is expected to take care of post-installation and maintenance.
With this project, UIW will continue efforts to build toward a more sustainable future on its campuses.
“Combined with our new composting initiative in the UIW dining hall at the Broadway campus, this solar project is perhaps the most significant action UIW can take to become more sustainable,” Miele said.