Claflin University in Orangeburg and Furman University in Greenville will increase their creation of renewable energy sources while reducing the amount of fossil fuels they require to operate thanks to a federal renewable energy grant awarded by the S.C. Budget and Control Board’s State Energy Office.
Claflin University was awarded $500,000 to install the state’s first solar adsorption cooling system on the new Orangeburg Collaborative Renewable Energy Center campus. This equipment will use solar panels to provide heat in the winter and cool water to provide air conditioning in the summer. The university will save more than $933,000 in energy costs over the life of the equipment.
Furman University was awarded $340,000 to install solar photovoltaic panels on the roof of the Physical Activities Center which will provide electricity to the campus. The system will include 304 PV modules as well as an energy metering system to monitor the energy produced in real-time. This project will help the university save more than $487,000 over the life of the project.
These grants are two of nine state-wide renewable energy projects funded by the Energy Office and are part of $2.8 million awarded to non-profit organizations and government entities in South Carolina.