StFX students are helping to lead the way in making our campus community more environmentally-friendly.
Student representatives from the StFX Environmental Society and the Department of Engineering have successfully developed a proposal that will see more solar panels installed on campus, increasing the amount of renewable energy produced at StFX.
The proposal has received support from university administration. Panels could be erected as early as this fall, once an agreement is reached between StFX and Nova Scotia Power regarding rates for renewable energy produced on campus.
The project aligns with StFX’s ongoing work to decrease its environmental impact and build a culture of sustainability. The university recently announced a $12-million investment in projects to reduce the amount of energy needed to maintain campus operations, as well as an awareness initiative – called StFX Sustainability – about the importance of embracing sustainable behaviours.
This alignment is important to students like Mikaela Henderson, President of the Environmental Society and one of the students working to bring the project to reality.
“We want to sustain the beauty of our planet for future generations to enjoy,” she said. “StFX has such a large impact on our community and our world, and this project continues our university’s pledge to become a more sustainable place.”
It’s not the first time a group of StFX students has successfully championed a significant renewable energy project on campus. In 2015, students from the environmental society presented a case for installing 40 solar panels on top of the Bloomfield Centre. The panels have been operational and producing energy since July 2015.
The project also aligns with the strategic direction of both the StFX and the StFX Students’ Union. Stewardship and Sustainability is one of five pillars in StFX’s 2017-2022 five-year strategic plan, and the Students’ Union has identified Sustainable and Innovative Practices as one of its core operational values.
To learn more about sustainability initiatives at StFX, visit stfx.ca/sustainability.