Northern Illinois University recently received four solar benches with a sustainable purpose. They each offer eight charging spots as well as a shady overhang to protect bench sitters. They’re part of the institution’s overall energy conservation efforts which result in annual carbon savings equivalent to planting a campus-sized forest of trees every year.
Matt Deitch, program director with the Northern Illinois Sustainability Center, said that small changes like the bench installations can have a big impact. “And it seems like something that that's so simple, right?" he told Northern Public Radio, "but at the same time, it's this really innovative thing. Why don't we have these all over? Why do we not have these at every college campus or every place where people are meeting? As we see what they can do, people will be more interested in having them around.”
Learn more about the project here.
