Solar panels proposed for all buildings

By: Angelise Petrillo/Staff Writer

Florida Gulf Coast University currently has the largest solar panel field in the world for a university.

However, if an upcoming resolution from the Student Government Council at Modesto Maidique Campus is passed, FIU could hold that record some day.

Freshman and Executive Assistant Connor Mautner gave a presentation to the senate during their Oct. 17 meeting regarding his idea for solar panels on the roof tops of all University buildings which, according to Mautner, was “inspired by his work designing solar powered school buses for Seminole County school district.”

With two million square feet of roof top space available, using solar panels for 90 percent of the University’s electricity, in as little as four years, the University can start to see a profit, said Mautner. The solar panels would be installed on roof tops of buildings at the Modesto Maidique, Biscayne Bay and every satellite campus. According to the Office of Finance and Administration, the University spends around $10 million on electricity annually, and $810,000 to $900,000 monthly.

Although the cost for the implementation of solar panels is about $40 million, Mautner said he has done necessary research and cost analysis to “prove this change to be profitable to not only the University, but also the community.” The total cost of $40 million includes all contributing factors: labor, shipment, installation, and so on.

With a $40 million sticker price, consideration of whether this is feasible was at the top of Mautner’s list.

“After just six years, there will be a $30 million and $260 million profit for the lifetime of the panels, which is about 25 years,” Mautner told Student Media.

In order to make this happen, the University would have to take out a $40 million loan.

“Since the federal government gives a 30 percent tax credit to green initiatives, and FIU is not responsible for taxes, a $12 million rebate will be applied toward the loan,” Mautner said.

After a meeting with Kenneth Jessell, senior vice president and chief financial officer, Mautner said a positive reaction could mean putting the University on the map in becoming the university with largest solar panel field in the world.

If implemented, the University’s solar panels would be 400 times larger than Florida Gulf Coast University’s, which is currently the largest in the world for a university. If the University is able to make the solar panel field larger than suggested by Mautner, “FPL would actually pay FIU to generate energy,” Mautner told SGC-MMC senators.

“This is not only feasible, it is profitable. FIU should and needs to do this, it goes along with FIU’s belief to be ‘Worlds Ahead,’” said Rachel Emas, graduate senator and chairwoman of the Graduate and Professional Student Committee.

Samir Patel, at-large senator and speaker pro-tempore, and Mautner are working with other senators to create Resolution SR 1109, which they will submit to Jessell.

SR 1109 will show that SGA, both SGC-MMC and SGC-BBC, support the implementation of Mautner’s solar panel proposal. SR 1109’s authors will present the bill at the senate meeting on Monday, Oct. 24. According to the SGA constitution, voting to pass SR 1109 must still take place.

Timothy Lu, a senator for the College of Medicine, expressed concern on whether Mautner took every cost into consideration.

“The numbers I came up with are all on a worst case scenario basis,” Mautner responded. “If there is fear for potential problems, the solar panels have warranties and if there is further concern, an insurance policy can be taken out to guard the University against possible loss.”

Daniel Diaz, a senator for the College of Arts and Architecture, questioned Mautner if the solar panels will be able to withstand hurricanes and other severe tropical weather. Mautner calculated this into his decision on the type of solar panels to use, and he found that “panels covered by tempered glass, which are the most durable and efficient, are available.” The type of panels he chose are industrial grade panels employed by the state energy company of the People’s Republic of China.

Mautner priced panels that are made in America, but the cost of these is $118 million. To keep this proposition economical and feasible, Mautner found a solar panel manufacturer in China. Since there is no tax on “green” purchases, buying the solar panels outside of the U.S. is still less expensive.

If approved by the University, the solar panels can be fully functional within a year.

Gabriel Freitas, a senator for the College of Business, also supported the solar panels and had concern regarding the time this would take to execute. Mautner explained that “the panels take four months to produce in Hong Kong, 15 days to ship, and seven to eight months to install completely.”

While Mautner’s estimate for the solar panels is solely based off current buildings, with the exclusion of the Graham Center due to future renovations and new additions, Adam Redolfi, a senator for the College of Business, questioned how future buildings and students would affect the numbers and plans for the solar panels.

Mautner recognized this by explaining, “If the University does approve the solar panels, I am going to try to have the solar panels somehow required for all future buildings, whether it be included in the new building budget or from a budget created for exclusively for solar panels.”

Mautner is scheduled to meet with Jessell again within the next couple weeks, and with the support of SGA and Resolution SR 1109, he is “confident that the approval of the solar panels is in FIU’s near future.”

Angelise Petrillo is the beat reporter for the Student Government Council at Modesto Maidique Campus.