8 | L E H I G H B U L L E T I N C A M P U S HUNGRY HAWKS A newmobile app and web interface aims to reduce food waste and food insecurity on the Lehigh campus by alerting students and others as to where they can pick up leftover food from Lehigh- catered campus events. Though the Lehigh community previously used group text messaging to informally spread the word about free leftover food, the Hungry Hawks app will provide a more secure and efficient platform for distributing the information. Computer science and business students Connor Greene ’22, Dave Jha ’22 and Joshua Yang ’22, recognizing problems with the informal group text messaging system, first approached the Sustainability Office in early 2020 with the idea. “Every day, departments, offices and clubs hold events and meetings across campus with Lehigh-catered food,” said Katharine Targett Gross, who served as sustainability officer. “Often, when these events and meetings end, there is leftover food that gets thrown away. Our goal is to end this wasteful cycle at Lehigh.” The core team consisted of CSB students Greene, Jha and Yang, as well as Targett Gross and Audrey McSain from the Office of Sustainability, Ashley Ryan from Library & Technology Services, and Claudine Sidney from Lehigh Catering.—Audrey McSain Solar Powered By generating an estimated annual energy output of 5,200 MWh/year, the proposed Saucon Valley Solar project will provide 90% of the Goodman Campus’s electricity. Lehigh has partnered with EDF Renewables to develop and install a solar array on a portion of university-owned land located on the Goodman Campus. The proposed Saucon Valley Solar project is intended to supply 90% of the electrical power needs of the Goodman Campus, which includes the majority of the university’s athletic and event facilities, utilized by students, staff, faculty and the community. The project, currently in its design and development phase, is in line with the university’s commitments to environmental sustainability and climate action as outlined in its Sustainability Strategic Plan 2030. Lehigh aims to offset 100% of Lehigh’s electricity consumption with renewable energy through a combination of off-site and on-site projects, energy conservation and Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). The proposed Saucon Valley Solar project is a 2.625 megawatt (MW) AC solar photovoltaic project located just south of Legacy Park and opposite the Lewis Indoor Tennis Center. EDF Renewables, a market-leading independent power producer and service provider with 35 years of experience, with assistance from Bohler Engineering and CustomerFirst Renewables, will develop and design a system that will exist in harmony with the rest of the Lehigh Goodman Campus and the surrounding community. Myles Burnsed, vice president, Strategic Development, stated, “EDF Renewables is proud to partner with Lehigh University to deliver a solar solution in support of their sustainability ambitions that also provides cost-effective clean energy.” The project will utilize single axis tracker technology and bifacial solar technology to optimally capture solar energy. The facility will generate an estimated annual energy output of 5,200MWh, which is enough to provide 90%of the Goodman Campus’s electricity. “This solar array will not only have a positive impact on our campus operations and reduce Lehigh’s carbon footprint in line with Lehigh’s Sustainability Strategic Plan 2030, but it will also have a significant impact on academics and research,” saidKatharineTargettGross,whoservedasSustainabilityOfficer inLehigh’sOffice of Sustainability. “We have incorporated educational and research opportunities into the project including summer internships, guest lectures, guided tours of the site, access to a portal that shows live and historical weather and production data, and an annual career mentoring session.” Thesitewaschosenbothbecause italignswellwithLehigh’s long-termplanning goals and because of its location relative to existing transmission infrastructure. In order to supplement the existing electrical power, the array needs to tie into a primary feed to campus.—Lori Friedman
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