Mesa State College has completed the installation of solar panels on the university's science building, representing the largest solar panel system on any collegiate campus in western Colorado.
The project is a joint effort among Western Colorado Action Network (WeCAN), a Mesa State College student organization, Western Colorado Congress, Shell Mahogany Research Project and Xcel Energy.
Xcel Energy provided a $45,000 rebate, and Shell donated $20,000 to the students in the beginning of the campaign. In addition, Mesa State provided $12,650 in cash and in-kind services and Western Colorado Congress and WeCAN contributed $59,500 toward the project. WeCAN also received grants from C.O.R.E. in Carbondale and from the Western Colorado Community Foundation, among many other private donations that contributed to the project.
‘In addition to the solar panels, we are also having a professional energy audit done and will soon have recommendations for additional changes we can make to conserve energy and save money,’ adds Tim Foster, Mesa State's president.
