Solar Endowment

June 10, 2009

Learning last week that an entire sports stadium in Taiwan is to be powered by solar made me dig up an concept from way back in 2003 (when renewables weren't really on the public radar yet) to put solar in a performing arts center project. The only occasionally used public facility is the perfect venue for the net plus facility (net plus being a building that exports power, whereas the zero energy building aims to not import power). Here's the bones of the concept:

Concept:  Establish a separate fundraising campaign to incorporate photovoltaic (PV) electrical supply into a performing arts hall project.  Collaborate with the local utility.  Explain that the campaign funds an endowment in the traditional sense that PV purchased now “pays” future electrical costs for the hall, but it is also an endowment in the sense that it reduces the social costs resulting from fossil fuel generated electricity (air degradation, depletion of finite resources and so on).

Opportunities

·   Tap dollars from sustainability supporters that you might not otherwise get

·   Attract patrons

·   Subsidize utility costs through local, state and national rebate programs (or receive direct funding from the utility as a demand side reduction project)

·   Defray future operating and maintenance costs upfront

·   Solicit contributions through utility customer billings

·   Solicit contributions from the utility and others’ web pages

·   Create a tangible fundraising focus that elementary students can connect with

·   Open discussions about the project in secondary and university classrooms

·   Create a unique, media worthy facet of the project

·   Capitalize on PV’s scalability: install as much as fundraising supports

·   Install PV offsite where design or cost constrains onsite installation 

·   Once operational, track energy production and net metering on a web page to further interest in both the performing arts hall and the utilities' renewable programs

Photo: serenase78 on flickr