Temple University turning the tables on energy use

Three new picnic tables have been installed at Temple University to help the school meet its goal of reducing its energy consumption by 25 percent within the next two years.

Each Solar Dok table is shaded by a striped umbrella topped with solar panels. The panels provide continuous power to four standard electric outlets on the umbrella’s support pole; each pole also has two USB outlets. The panels provide enough power to recharge people’s phones, tablets, laptops and other gadgets. They also store power that is used to provide LED lighting in the evening.

The Office of Sustainability considers education a vital component of the university’s efforts to reduce energy usage. Temple’s sustainability coordinator, Kathleen Grady, says the tables can play a role in that educational effort, since each has a meter that shows how much power the unit is generating.

“Unlike solar panels that are on roofs of buildings, these stations allow students to get up close and personal with solar because they are at a human scale,” says Grady. “This project is a great tool because it helps us understand both the advantages and limitations of solar technology.”

Making the military’s list

Several schools in the region have been named to the latest list of military-friendly schools. These institutions provide an exceptional level of services and programs targeted to current and former

members of the U.S. military.

Arcadia University

Bucks County Community College

Cheyney University

Delaware Valley College

Drexel University

Gwynedd-Mercy College

Holy Family University

La Salle University

Montgomery County Community College

Peirce College

Penn State Abington

Rowan University

Rutgers University — Camden

Temple University

The Art Institute of Philadelphia

Widener University