Here comes the sun – UAB goes solar and green

ByPat Byington
LAST UPDATED12/13/20

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Photo: UAB press release

Here comes the sun UAB.

This week, UAB announced that it is home to the largest solar energy system in the city of Birmingham. The solar panels are on top of it’s Campus Recreation Center which can be seen from Red Mountain and surrounding buildings.

The 100 panel solar system was installed by Birmingham-based Vulcan Solar Power.

“This is our first commercial-scale solar installation,” said Julie Price, UAB Sustainability Coordinator in a recent UAB news release.

“The visibility of the system cultivates a recognition and inquiry from the community that aligns directly with our mission to generate public engagement. It is a great pinnacle project that will open the door for us to engage people about solar energy and other facets of sustainability as well.”

Along with the news about UAB’s new solar panel installation, the university announced that it had earned its first rating in the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System for its leadership and innovation in university sustainability. STARS is a self-reporting sustainability evaluation tool developed by the Association for the Advancement Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) for the higher-education community. The system measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education.

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Pat Byington

Longtime conservationist. Former Executive Director at the Alabama Environmental Council and Wild South. Publisher of the Bama Environmental News for more than 18 years. Career highlights include playing an active role in the creation of Alabama's Forever Wild program, Little River Canyon National Preserve, Dugger Mountain Wilderness, preservation of special places throughout the East through the Wilderness Society and the strengthening (making more stringent) the state of Alabama's cancer risk and mercury standards.