Georgia Southern has more alternative energy resources than ever, and the list of solar- and wind-powered resources is expected to grow.

The University now has an alternative energy resource collection in the form of wind and solar energy on campus, with a significant portion of the energy available to students directly in the form of electrical outlets.

One convenient new resource that is now directly available to students is the addition of four Solgreen Evidia SmartTables that were installed in front of the IT building in January of this year. These tables allow for the charging of phones, laptops and any other device that is compatible with a standard outlet.

“[The tables are] a great example of alternative energy use on campus,” Lissa Leege, director of the Center for Sustainability, said.

These solar powered charging stations are not the only alternative energy resources on campus, however. The biology building also has 57 solar panels on its roof that provide all of the energy for hot water in the building. The solar panels also contribute at least one percent of the overall energy for the building.

Wind energy collection is also in play at GS, with a wind turbine connected to the “chiller” in the Math and Physics Building. The energy collected from this turbine is also available to students through an electrical outlet in the building.

According to Leege, the future of solar patios and other alternative energy resources on campus looks bright. With the successes of other alternative resources on campus, extensions and additions can be expected.

“I would anticipate we will have more in the future if they work well,” Leege said.