NEW BRITAIN, Conn. — Central Connecticut State University is going to great lengths to support its sustainability goals.
According to the university, this semester, visitors to Devil’s Den will see what appears to be a blue picnic table outside the main entrance. Beneath its roof, which is a set of solar panels, lie seats and several outlets to provide students a recharge area for their mobile devices.
The Sunbolt Campus XL solar table was unveiled by facilities in mid-August. It draws on the sun’s power to serve as a clean, renewable energy source that is capable of charging phones, tablets, laptops and other mobile devices.
The university said the Campus XL model has six 120-volt, GFCI-protected outlets; 12 USB outlets (including USB-C fast-charging outlets) and two Qi wireless charging pads. It also offers a bit of shade. Furthermore, the table and bench tops are made from sustainable and recycled materials.
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When its battery is full, the solar table can charge anywhere from 50 to 150 smartphones in a day at the same charging rate as a normal outlet.
Sunbolt utilizes photovoltaic panels to draw from the sun’s energy and turn it into electricity, its website says. The charge controller, inverter and battery within the table process the power and deliver it to multiple power outlets.
“Even during days with limited sunlight, the solar panels convert energy into usable electric power, which is stored in the battery,” the university says.
Not far away, a new Bloom Energy Server Platform is also being installed between Kaiser Hall and the Copernicus parking garage. The platform includes fuel cells that transform natural gas, biogas and hydrogen into electricity without combustion, according to the university.
Bloom Energy’s website notes that the electrochemical process reduces air pollutants such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which contribute to global warming.
“The unit will deliver reliable, 24-7 onsite power and offset 2,000 kilowatts of utility power during normal operation,” the university said. “If the power goes out, the fuel cell can provide 1,650 kilowatts of independent power.”
The platform will be up and running later this fall, according to Facilities Management at Central.
Central began its formal commitment to sustainability in 2007 by signing on to the Presidents’ Climate Leadership Commitment, which was formerly the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment. The project was launched by the nonprofit organization Second Nature.
The university said that higher education signatories to the climate commitment make an ongoing pledge to incorporate climate change strategies and projects on their campuses.
The commitment reads, in part, “We believe colleges and universities must exercise leadership in their communities and throughout society by providing the knowledge, research, practice and informed graduates to create a positive and sustainable future.”
The university adds that it was guided by that commitment to publish its Climate Action Plan in 2009 and create at the President’s Advisory Council on Environmental Sustainability to carry out the plan.
The Climate Action Plan also features strategies at the academic-program level, according to the university, which said in recent years, it has launched the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Climate Change Studies degree programs. These programs enable students to explore the causes and effects of climate change and consider challenges and solutions to address climate issues.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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