The Bellevue College Athletic fields are not the only thing that’s green on campus anymore. No, as of this week our Soccer/Softball scoreboard has now gone solar! I spoke with the Bellevue College Athletic Director, Bill O’ Connor, about the new addition to our campus and how easy it is to get more environmental options on college campuses.
I asked Bill how the Athletic department decided to install the solar device, and what I found out was that our Bellevue College Sustainability Committee brought up the concept of solar power and even helped organize the funding for the scoreboard solar attachments. I asked if it was a long process to get the solar scoreboard ordered and installed but apparently it’s not. Bill let me know that the Athletic Departments scoreboard company, Daktronics, not only started offering these solar options recently but also installs them as well! Bill let me know that newer scoreboards are offering more environmental options, even possibly on billboards too.
I was curious as to what other athletic departments would need to know when deciding to go for their own solar scoreboards. Again, the ability for Bellevue College to have environmental options in many areas has been largely in part because of the support of our environmentally focused community like the SESF, the Office of Sustainability, the Captains of Sustainability and many others. Many of these communities, programs and staff are always thinking of new ways of being green. Bill added that he is glad that Bellevue College has such support and funding for his department!
Our discussion only left me with one question… What other environmental projects or plans does the Athletic Department foresee in the future? Bill let me know that the baseball scoreboard is their next solar focus.
Maybe by next summer, our soccer and softball fields might not be the only places soaking up the sunshine?!
Last Updated April 8, 2014