Solar Stop
Check out the dashboard to see how much energy is being produced by the Solar Stop.
Read the original proposal that was submitted to the SGA Sustainability Fund.
We are thrilled to announce that the Solar Stop is officially operational!
The Solar Stop is a multi-faceted solar power system. It provides a protective structure over the bike rack in front of Meyer Library, produces renewable energy for the campus and serves as an educational resource for the MSU campus community.
Co-project managers Joel Hensley and Max Wagner realized the need and potential for solar energy. They wrote a proposal for $90,000 in funding from the SGA Sustainability Fund and their dream is now a reality. Co-project manager and originator Joel Hensley, an MSU alumnus, got creative when writing the proposal for funding for this project. He said, “There are only three areas on campus where bikers can park their bikes to find protection from the weather. As an avid biker, I saw a need and realized this could be a good solution.”
Beyond producing energy and providing shelter for bikes, the Solar Stop will be used as an educational tool, says Max Wagner. QR codes will be placed on the structure that will lead to a dashboard that will provide information about solar energy and show the amount of energy being produced from the Solar Stop.
Not only was this project devised by MSU students, it was installed by MSU alumni! Brighter Side Energy is a local company run by three MSU graduates: John Krygiel, Josh Brown and Brandon Jacobson. All three of these MSU alumni are honored and excited to be an integral part of this project and they hope to see similar projects like this in MSU’s future.
Wagner says that if the project goes well, there is a possibility of building more Solar Stops around campus. “This project will be a huge step forward for our university,” Wagner said. “The Solar Stop will be one of the, if not the first, large-scale solar project on our campus, and this will show just what is possible.” The Solar Stop will set MSU apart for this sustainability innovation, and will hopefully inspire future sustainability projects on campus.
The SGA Sustainability Fund has made many sustainability projects possible on campus thanks to the students who both write and pass the proposals.