Skip to main content
Appalachian Today
News and events at Appalachian State University
  • For the media
  • Contact
  • Events
  • Webcams
  • Podcasts
  • In the Media
  • Grants
  • Speakers
  • All Posts
  • Topics
  • Accolades
  • Alumni
  • Arts and Humanities
  • Athletics
  • Awards and Honors
  • Community Engagement
  • Diversity
  • Events
  • Faculty and Staff
  • Gifts and Grants
  • Global
  • Health and Wellness
  • Publications
  • Research
  • Safety
  • Scholarships
  • Students
  • Sustainability
☰ Menu
  • Events
  • Webcams
  • Podcasts
  • In the Media
  • Grants
  • Speakers
  • All Posts
  • Topics
  • For the media
  • Contact
View larger image

App State senior Joey Crews, of Lincolnton, a sustainable technology major and chair of the Renewable Energy Initiative, fourth from right in foreground, cuts the ribbon for the new State Farm solar array on April 14. Photo by Chase Reynolds

App State students unveil new solar array near State Farm Road

“This just goes to show what student funding can do, and what student-led initiatives can do. It’s really inspiring.”

Joey Crews, App State senior and Renewable Energy Initiative chair

By Brian Miller
Posted May 3, 2023 at 1:28 p.m.

BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University students unveiled the university’s largest solar array installed to date at a ribbon-cutting ceremony held near App State's Facilities Operations building on April 14.

“This just goes to show what student funding can do, and what student-led initiatives can do. It’s really inspiring.”

Joey Crews, App State senior and Renewable Energy Initiative chair

The university’s student-led and student-funded Renewable Energy Initiative (REI) spearheaded the $477,880 project near State Farm Road, which will offset 15% to 20% of energy usage at an adjacent building.

View larger image

App State's State Farm solar array is visible from the Boone Greenway Trail. Photo by Wes Craig and Chase Reynolds

“REI is a special group of students that is really refreshing to work with. The projects keep getting bigger, more complex and more impactful, and it’s so exciting that they can contribute this way while they’re at App State.”

Jim Dees, App State data and assessment specialist and Renewable Energy Initiative staff adviser

REI projects can be proposed by any student and are carried out with the help of faculty and staff advisers. Since 2005, REI has funded a number of projects, including the wind turbine located at the site of App State’s Innovation District, which, until recently, was the largest wind turbine in North Carolina. The organization receives revenue from a student fee each semester and evaluates proposed funding allocations based on multiple factors, including return on investment and ethical sourcing.

“REI is a special group of students that is really refreshing to work with. The projects keep getting bigger, more complex and more impactful, and it’s so exciting that they can contribute this way while they’re at App State.”

Jim Dees, App State data and assessment specialist and Renewable Energy Initiative staff adviser

App State seniors and REI members Jackson Lamb, a biology major from Davidson, and Joey Crews, a sustainable technology major from Lincolnton, hosted the State Farm ribbon-cutting event, which was attended by fellow REI students, as well as App State faculty and staff.

Lamb explained that the idea for the solar array started about five years ago but was put on hold during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It became an idea that we thought might not happen, but with hard work we were able to prevail, and the project was fully funded by spring 2022,” he said.

REI staff adviser Jim Dees — App State’s data and assessment specialist in the Office of Sustainability — said, “The determination that it took to stay with this project is pretty remarkable. I am super proud of these guys.”

View larger image

App State senior Jackson Lamb, of Davidson, a biology major and board member of the student-led Renewable Energy Initiative, left in foreground, gives a speech at the university’s ribbon-cutting for the State Farm solar array on April 14. Photo by Chase Reynolds

Lamb noted that the solar array has the capacity to collect data and provide performance updates.

“This project is so cool for us and gives us so many great opportunities to learn and contribute to App State’s impact on sustainability,” he said.

Crews said the solar array is already showing great results.

“This just goes to show what student funding can do, and what student-led initiatives can do,” he said. “It’s really inspiring, and on a personal note, I think it’s an absolutely beautiful array.”

Plans are currently underway for a plaque with information about the solar array to be installed on Boone’s Greenway Trail — a public facility with clear visibility of the array.

“When you look up this way from the Greenway path, you’ll see this beautiful array shining in the sun all summer long and producing large amounts of energy,” said Lamb.

Lamb said this project, and the many other projects completed by REI, wouldn’t be possible without support from App State’s construction teams, energy teams, faculty members and advisers. Dees said the same sentiment goes for the students.

“REI is a special group of students that is really refreshing to work with,” said Dees. “The projects keep getting bigger, more complex and more impactful, and it’s so exciting that they can contribute this way while they’re at App State.”

What do you think?

Share your feedback on this story.

Renewable Energy Initiative
Renewable Energy Initiative

The Appalachian State Renewable Energy Initiative is a student-led, student-funded organization that seeks to install renewable energy and energy efficiency projects on campus. Projects can be proposed by any student, and are carried out with the help of faculty and staff advisors by the REI committee. Since its inception in 2005, the REI has funded a number of projects, including the Broyhill Wind Turbine, which, until recently, was the largest wind turbine in North Carolina.

Learn more
Other completed REI projects

Renewable Energy Initiative (REI) projects can be proposed by any App State student and are carried out with the help of faculty and staff advisers. Since 2005, the organization has funded or contributed to the following projects:

  • Leon Levine Hall of Health Sciences — 64-kilowatt rooftop solar array.
  • Frank Hall — 36-kilowatt rooftop solar array.
  • Peacock Hall patio — 885-watt solar picnic tables.
  • App State Boone campus and town of Boone — 30-watt big belly solar compactor and recycling stations.
  • Bodenheimer Drive (highest point on the Boone campus) — 100-kilowatt wind turbine.
  • Raley parking circle — 4-kilowatt solar array.
  • Rivers Street in Boone — 2.96-kilowatt E3 House rooftop solar array.
  • State Farm parking lot — 4-kilowatt solar lab.
  • App State Physical Plant complex — 1.7-kilowatt biodiesel collaborative solar array, biodiesel collaborative solar thermal system and AppalCART biodiesel tank.
  • Belk Library traffic circle — 6.63-kilowatt solar array.
  • Kerr Scott Hall — 1.5-kilowatt solar array.
  • Hydroelectricity — $50,000 contribution toward the university’s purchase of 7,670 megawatt-hours of hydroelectricity through App State’s New River Light and Power.
  • App State solar vehicle team — two solar-powered vehicles.
  • Plemmons Student Union — solar thermal system.
  • Varsity Gymnasium — solar thermal system.
  • Summit Hall — solar thermal system.
  • Blackburn Vannoy Farm — solar array and solar thermal.

Learn more about these REI projects.

About the Appalachian State University Renewable Energy Initiative

The Appalachian State University Renewable Energy Initiative (REI) is a student-led, student-funded organization that seeks to install renewable energy and energy efficiency projects on campus. Projects can be proposed by any member of Appalachian and are carried out by the REI committee with the help of faculty and staff advisors. Since its inception in 2005, the REI has funded over 20 renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, including the Broyhill Wind Turbine, which, until recently, was the largest wind turbine in North Carolina. The REI works closely with Appalachian’s Office of Sustainability. Learn more at https://rei.appstate.edu.

About Sustainability at Appalachian

Appalachian State University’s leadership in sustainability is known nationally. The university’s holistic, three-branched approach considers sustainability economically, environmentally and equitably in relationship to the planet’s co-inhabitants. The university is an active steward of the state’s interconnected financial, cultural and natural resources and challenges students and others think critically and creatively about sustainability and what it means from the smallest individual action to the most broad-based applications. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate academic degree programs that focus on sustainability. In addition, 100 percent of Appalachian’s academic departments offer at least one sustainability course or course that includes sustainability, and all students graduate from programs that have adopted at least one sustainability learning outcome. Learn more at https://appstate.edu/sustainability.

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.

“This just goes to show what student funding can do, and what student-led initiatives can do. It’s really inspiring.”

Joey Crews, App State senior and Renewable Energy Initiative chair

“REI is a special group of students that is really refreshing to work with. The projects keep getting bigger, more complex and more impactful, and it’s so exciting that they can contribute this way while they’re at App State.”

Jim Dees, App State data and assessment specialist and Renewable Energy Initiative staff adviser

Renewable Energy Initiative
Renewable Energy Initiative

The Appalachian State Renewable Energy Initiative is a student-led, student-funded organization that seeks to install renewable energy and energy efficiency projects on campus. Projects can be proposed by any student, and are carried out with the help of faculty and staff advisors by the REI committee. Since its inception in 2005, the REI has funded a number of projects, including the Broyhill Wind Turbine, which, until recently, was the largest wind turbine in North Carolina.

Learn more
Other completed REI projects

Renewable Energy Initiative (REI) projects can be proposed by any App State student and are carried out with the help of faculty and staff advisers. Since 2005, the organization has funded or contributed to the following projects:

  • Leon Levine Hall of Health Sciences — 64-kilowatt rooftop solar array.
  • Frank Hall — 36-kilowatt rooftop solar array.
  • Peacock Hall patio — 885-watt solar picnic tables.
  • App State Boone campus and town of Boone — 30-watt big belly solar compactor and recycling stations.
  • Bodenheimer Drive (highest point on the Boone campus) — 100-kilowatt wind turbine.
  • Raley parking circle — 4-kilowatt solar array.
  • Rivers Street in Boone — 2.96-kilowatt E3 House rooftop solar array.
  • State Farm parking lot — 4-kilowatt solar lab.
  • App State Physical Plant complex — 1.7-kilowatt biodiesel collaborative solar array, biodiesel collaborative solar thermal system and AppalCART biodiesel tank.
  • Belk Library traffic circle — 6.63-kilowatt solar array.
  • Kerr Scott Hall — 1.5-kilowatt solar array.
  • Hydroelectricity — $50,000 contribution toward the university’s purchase of 7,670 megawatt-hours of hydroelectricity through App State’s New River Light and Power.
  • App State solar vehicle team — two solar-powered vehicles.
  • Plemmons Student Union — solar thermal system.
  • Varsity Gymnasium — solar thermal system.
  • Summit Hall — solar thermal system.
  • Blackburn Vannoy Farm — solar array and solar thermal.

Learn more about these REI projects.

Share

Topics

  • Community Engagement
  • Events
  • Faculty and Staff
  • Students
  • Sustainability

What do you think?

Share your feedback on this story.

Archives

Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University. This website consolidates university news, feature stories, events, photo galleries, videos and podcasts.

The migration of materials from other sites is still incomplete, so if you cannot find what you're looking for here, please refer to the following sources:

  • Additional feature stories may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • Podcasts may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • Photo galleries and videos published prior to Jan. 1, 2015 may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • A university-wide Google Calendar may be found at Events at Appalachian

Share

Topics

  • Community Engagement
  • Events
  • Faculty and Staff
  • Students
  • Sustainability

Other Recent Posts

  • 3 App State graduate students win $25,000 award in sustainable business pitch competition
    3 App State graduate students win $25,000 award in sustainable business pitch competition
  • App State honors campus, community champions of diversity, equity and inclusion
    App State honors campus, community champions of diversity, equity and inclusion
  • Campus emergency siren test to be conducted <span style="white-space: nowrap;">June 7</span>
    Campus emergency siren test to be conducted June 7
  • Marine Corps veteran Dr. Seth Grooms lays wreath for App State’s Memorial Day commemoration
    Marine Corps veteran Dr. Seth Grooms lays wreath for App State’s Memorial Day commemoration
  • App State earns designation as a Top 10 Military Friendly School for 2023–24
    App State earns designation as a Top 10 Military Friendly School for 2023–24
  • Surry County principal named Principal of the Year in North Carolina [alumni featured]
    Surry County principal named Principal of the Year in North Carolina [alumni featured]
    Winston-Salem Journal
  • How can N.C. better recruit and retain teachers? These partnerships share best practices
    How can N.C. better recruit and retain teachers? These partnerships share best practices
    EdNC
  • <span style="color: #bc8801;">SoundAffect:</span> Dr. Sharon Contreras on ensuring a high-quality education for all children
    SoundAffect: Dr. Sharon Contreras on ensuring a high-quality education for all children
  • Over 3,600 App State graduates earn degrees at Spring 2023 Commencement
    Over 3,600 App State graduates earn degrees at Spring 2023 Commencement
  • Are heart rate and blood pressure the same? No, and it’s important to understand why. [faculty featured]
    Are heart rate and blood pressure the same? No, and it’s important to understand why. [faculty featured]
    American Heart Association
  • At App State lab schools, empowered teachers foster supportive classrooms for K–5 students
    At App State lab schools, empowered teachers foster supportive classrooms for K–5 students
  • Dr. Ashley Walker Colquitt named associate vice provost and dean of App State’s Williams School of Graduate Studies
    Dr. Ashley Walker Colquitt named associate vice provost and dean of App State’s Williams School of Graduate Studies

Archives

Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University. This website consolidates university news, feature stories, events, photo galleries, videos and podcasts.

The migration of materials from other sites is still incomplete, so if you cannot find what you're looking for here, please refer to the following sources:

  • Additional feature stories may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • Podcasts may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • Photo galleries and videos published prior to Jan. 1, 2015 may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • A university-wide Google Calendar may be found at Events at Appalachian
  • Events
  • Videos
  • Galleries
  • In the Media
  • Grants
  • Speakers
  • All Posts
  • Topics
  • For the media
  • COVID updates
  • Contact

App State

Copyright 2023 Appalachian State University. All rights reserved.

University Communications
ASU Box 32153
Boone, NC 28608
828-262-6156
ucomm@appstate.edu

Abouts

Disclaimer | EO Policy | Accessibility | Website manager: montaldipa (beltmr) .. | Website Feedback

Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram LinkedIn Snapchat