Center for Manufacturing Excellence houses largest solar panel complex in state

The University of Mississippi has taken another step toward its new green initiative with the installation of 413 solar panels on the roof of the year-old Center for Manufacturing Excellence.
These solar panels can produce approximately 100 kilowatts of power, which has the potential to produce enough energy to return power to the electrical grid that many of the buildings on campus use as a power source.
With the installation of more than 400 photovoltaic solar panels complete, the building is the largest roof-mounted solar power complex in the state, James Vaughan, the center’s director, said in a press release.
“The first 392 solar panels produce 245 watts each, and the remaining 39 produce 340 watts apiece, which generates roughly 108 kilowatts of electricity,” he said.
Ryan Miller, programs manager and assistant director of center, emphasized the positive impact this will have on the Ole Miss community and how it benefits students’ learning experiences.
“(The students) have the opportunity to actually see solar energy in use,” Miller said.
Students who work and study within the center’s program can monitor the energy used by the solar panels via “smart screens” located in the lobby of the building. The screens give instant feedback on the amount of energy the panels create and the power they displace.
Students will also be able to learn from people who design solar panels similar to the ones the center has already installed.
The center was awarded a $529,395 grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and combined with $176,645 of its own money, was able to install the different types of panels in December.
The university will benefit not only from an educational standpoint for students, but on a financial level as well. With a belief that in the end the benefits will outweigh the costs, the solar panels could help cut spending in the future on the energy used by other buildings on campus.
“Not only will students learn from the use of solar technology, but they will, in fact, be beneficiaries of the power it generates,” Miller said.
The center’s program began in fall 2010 with 27 freshmen from nine states. In Fall 2011, 36 freshmen enrolled in the program.