The Auburn University Space Research Institute has been working on developing ways to lower costs associated with using solar power.
One of the institute's projects involved installing solar panels on the roof of Opelika's T.K. Davis Justice Center during the summer.
The SRI's solar project started collecting funding in the beginning of 2008.
"Lee County officials approached us to partner on this project with them, and we wrote a proposal to send to the Alabama Department of Economic Affairs," said Steve Best, a research engineer at SRI. "Lee County supplied $50,000 and the state supplied $200,000 for this project. Our role was to help with design, modeling, component selection and installation."
Caitie Coats, a junior in chemical engineering, who worked with the SRI doing research about solar cells, said she thinks both students and the environment could benefit from "green" solar power.
The SRI's goal is to raise awareness in Alabama about how solar power is a viable energy source, Coats said.
"Solar power reduces carbon emissions, and it's a good way to really be proactive in counteracting negative impact we have on the environment," Coats said. "It's important because students need to be aware of how they can impact the environment. In Lee County we were able to reach that awareness, as well as throughout the state."
The SRI also monitors how the solar system is performing compared to how computer predictions say it should be performing, Best said.
"The goal of the solar project is to verify the correct model for solar cell performance," said Casey Still, a senior in mechanical engineering, who works with the SRI.
The solar panel project was created with the idea of lowering costs in mind.
"The solar array system we're working on was created so that it would be less expensive," said Director of the Space Research Institute, Henry Branhorst. "This project has sparked a lot of people's interests and desires to know more about it."
Right now there are three students working on solar power-related projects, Branhorst said, and more are expected to get involved.
The students work on these projects with various University faculty and colleges.
A positive benefit is high grade energy (electricity) that doesn't give off much pollution, Branhorst said.
He also said there's some amount of carbon dioxide, but that it goes away with time and that the solar cell will never wear out.
Branhorst said the costs associated with using solar panels are high right now, but that they will decrease in the future.
"What's important is that this is the first solar project sponsored by the Alabama Department of Economic Affairs," Best said. "Solar power isn't meant to replace coal plants, or other companies. It's meant to be an additional resource."
Best pointed out that finding energy sources is a big issue in the U.S. right now because the population uses so much energy.
"Energy is one of the greatest issues right now, because the United States uses 21% of all the world's energy," Best said. "We're energy hogs here in the U.S."
President Obama has instituted a legislation that says more renewable energy sources like wind, electric and biomass must be used, Branhorst said.
Auburn University has been involved in biomass.
"My goal is to keep expanding on the current solar project, because we're trying to further the progression of the system at Lee County's Justice Center," Coats said. "This project motivates me to help the environment by using solar power even after I graduate."
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