Check out the recent media mentions of sustainability-related programs, practices, and people at UNC:
UNC Dining Halls Consider Local, Sustainable Suppliers
An ongoing movement toward offering more local, sustainable food options is a priority for Carolina Dining Services (CDS) as it tries to meet the standards of the Real Food Challenge. The challenge encourages universities to serve less food from industrial farms. It was brought to UNC by Fair, Local, Organic Food (FLO), a UNC student organization asking that CDS be more sustainable in its food purchases. “I think CDS continues to show their interest in expanding the amount of real food served,” said FLO member Alexandria Huber.
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Residential Solar Panels Still a Great Investment
Jordan Kern, post-doctoral researcher at the Institute for the Environment writes about residential solar projects as a viable financial investment opportunity. Currently, for an average household in the Duke Energy Carolinas service area, investing in a 4-kilowatt solar panel system over 25 years can be just as good as investing in a savings bond earning 8.9 percent interest. Duke Energy’s proposed net metering reduction rate would reduce this equivalent interest rate by only about 0.1 percent. A much greater threat to the financial viability of the residential solar market in North Carolina is the expiration of state and federal Investment Tax Credits (ITCs), which collectively allow homeowners to recoup more than 50 percent of the solar panels’ original cost. The state ITC is set to expire at the end of 2015, and the federal ITC is slated to expire at the end of 2016. Expiration of either tax credit, assuming the current costs of solar power stay the same, would make purchasing solar panels a poor financial investment for most homeowners in North Carolina.
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Thanks to UNC News Services for finding these stories! You can find more UNC media coverage and stories online at uncnews.unc.edu.
