Despite all the recent rain, NC State has made strides towards a brighter future.
The university recently purchased three Powersol solar umbrellas that students and faculty will be able to use to charge their mobile devices. According to Lynn Swank, NC State’s Landscape Project Manager, the umbrellas will be installed in the brick patio between Owen and Tucker residence halls.
The umbrellas are produced by ZON, a solar product company based in Manhattan Beach, California. ZON has not been on the market for even a full year, but the umbrellas can already be found at schools and businesses across the country. The company itself is unique as the products it makes: it is women-founded, entirely managed by women and made in America.
Each umbrella has solar panels secured to the top which feed into a wire down the center of the umbrella. The wire connects to a lithium ion battery sitting on top of the table which can charge up to three USB devices at once. Each outlet charges a phone as quickly as a wall outlet would, according to ZON co-founder, Cameron Welborn-Wilson.
“Campuses are by far the most fun because your generation gets what we’re trying to do and understands the value proposition behind being able to charge up your mobile device at any time when you’re on campus, and it’s completely green,” Welborn-Wilson said.
The cost per umbrella ranges from $1,600 to $2,600 depending on which brand umbrella purchased. The power from outlets across campus can cost the university thousands of dollars per year. The power generated by the umbrellas is free, saving NC State money.
Welborn-Wilson believes that NC State’s campus could eventually fill up with these environmentally friendly umbrellas. She said that the company gets reorders regularly because as one department or organization on campus adopts the umbrellas, it sparks interest all around campus.
“We’re testing [the umbrellas’] ability and if they’re successful, we plan to do another at least five more, if not more, in the Tucker-Owen area,” Swank said.
UNC-Chapel Hill brought the umbrellas to their campus last spring, giving NC State insight into what to expect once the umbrellas are set up and ready to be used.
Charlie Egan, a UNC senior and co-chair of their Renewable Energy Special Projects Committee, said the umbrellas have had an overall positive reaction on their campus.
“It’s just a great opportunity for students who don’t necessarily have any interest in energy but they can still take advantage of it,” Egan said.
Egan also said that the umbrellas have been a great way to make people think about alternate power sources, while enjoying a nice day outside.
Welborn-Wilson said that the feedback from other universities as well as NC State has been remarkable enthusiasm, from both students and faculty.
