When Icarus tried to fly on wings made of wax, his folly was flying so close to the sun that it melted him mid-air and sent him hurtling down into the sea. In the 21st century, Fredonia might be saved from sinking if it can embrace the sun a little bit differently.
This past December at a Fredonia College Council meeting, university administrators touted the fact that 750- square-feet of newly installed solar panels at the College Lodge in nearby Brocton provided 120 percent of its power for the summer. It was also projected that they would provide 75 percent of its power this winter. This clear, in-house, demonstrative proof shows that solar power is a great step forward, and it’s one we need to take on the actual campus too.
Solar should appeal to anybody who is aware of the problems that currently threaten the university’s future. The simple cost of operating across SUNY is staggering. At Fredonia alone, basic utilities cost the college nearly $8.3 million this school year, and as that number rises, students end up footing the bill. A contentious fight has broken out in Albany as Gov. Andrew Cuomo vetoed a bill in December that would commit more state funding towards utilities, leaving even more tuition hikes likely.
But at the College Lodge, solar panels are expected not only to save money every year but to end up paying for themselves well before the end of their lifespan. If we could get anywhere near replicating this success at the campus itself and help everybody save money, why wouldn’t we? If the university saves, then students no longer have to pay more every year to keep the lights on.
It’s also no secret that Fredonia is experiencing somewhat of an admissions crisis. With enrollment down significantly, it’s no surprise the university is aggressively targeting potential students across the state with high-quality television commercials and gigantic public signage. But real publicity doesn’t come from a poster — it comes from actually doing something.
According to the Princeton Review, up to 61 percent of the college applicant pool weighs environmental issues in choosing where to attend college. Could there be better press than taking a stand and showing concrete commitment to sustainable goals? One of the key points in the Strategic Plan is making sure Fredonia is known as a sustainable community, and a bold energy strategy will undoubtedly help make that a reality.
Those who remain skeptical or think that the initial costs of solar are too high might want to take a look at schools in the SUNY system that aren’t waiting around for everybody else. SUNY Cortland installed 3,600 solar panels nearly two years ago, projecting a savings of $200,000 over 20 years. How’s that for a rational approach to increasing tuition?
It gets better.
Immediately after, Cortland got to work on incorporating the technology into its science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) curriculum, giving students a unique, hands-on experience that few other colleges nationwide can claim. What’s stopping Fredonia, which just erected a $60 million Science Center and is rehabbing Houghton Hall to meet today’s STEM needs for $33 million, from doing the same? Just symbolically, it makes Fredonia’s commitment to the natural sciences and attracting STEM students seem all that much stronger.
It’s true that all of this is easier said than done. Tellingly enough, the state didn’t provide any reimbursement incentives for the panels at the College Lodge. But Cortland helped pay the way for its own with a nice grant from Cuomo’s NY-Sun initiative. Fredonia’s administration, faculty and student body need to work toward their own energy initiatives.
Administrators and governors won’t respond to one student, but they might if there’s 1,000 who are organizing and lobbying for solar on their campus. And if there’s an entire college campus that wants to change the world for the better, who can stand in the way of that?
It doesn’t seem like the Governor’s office will even try. According to The New York Times, as of last fall, he has committed up to $750 million towards bring solar panel production to Buffalo, something expected to bring 3,000 jobs to Western New York alone. Solar power is not just a far-away pipe dream or something people do in Germany. With the advent of Solar Chautauqua, it’s literally right down the road.
Instead of signing declarations and indicating goodwill, let’s write letters and win some grants. Instead of leaving these conversations to the powers-that-be, let’s challenge our administration (and our administration’s administration!) to lead on this issue. Instead of waiting to get caught in the tide, let’s swim against it until it changes.
In just a matter of decades, certain schools will be able to say they flourished because they embraced solar; they stood out from the crowd because they embraced solar; they changed the world because they embraced solar. Fredonia has the opportunity to be one of them — Icarus be damned.