Dominion Resources Awards $40,000 Grant to ODU Engineering College
Old Dominion University was recently awarded a $40,000 grant from Dominion Resources to aid in the installation of a rooftop solar energy system on Kaufman Hall, home of the Frank Batten College of Engineering and Technology.
It is hoped that the energy system, which has been in the planning stages for a few years, will help provide power to the building. It will also help with the creation of a renewable energy curriculum for engineering students.
Dean Oktay Baysal said the rooftop solar energy system is one of many things that demonstrate the Batten College's commitment to renewable energy research.
"Between our research into biofuels, the work we're doing with photovoltaic, or solar, energy, and of course the work of our team in the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon, Old Dominion is at the forefront of many types of renewable energy research," Baysal said. "We are very pleased that Dominion Resources recognizes our commitment in this area."
The grants awarded to local colleges and universities in Dominion's coverage area, which totaled more than $100,000, will be used to support programs in business, skilled craft, engineering, environmental and technical studies, and student-led conservation programs.
To see the full list of grants, go to http://www.dom.com/about/education/grants/recent-higher-educational-awards.jsp.
"Dominion is privileged to support college-level learning," said Virginia M. Board, president of the Dominion Foundation. "We are particularly interested in funding action-oriented projects that produce results in energy conservation and the preservation of the environment."
Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 28,200 megawatts of generation. Dominion operates the nation's largest national gas storage system, and serves retail energy customers in 15 states.
The grants were made through the Dominion Foundation, the company's charitable arm.