HOLD Student team wins Ford grant for solar-powered bus stop lights

Look for new solar-powered lighting at bus stops across campus thanks to the Sustainable Spartans student group winning a $25,000 grant from the Ford Motor Company Fund.

The student group applied for the global grant contest for student-led sustainability projects sponsored by Ford’s philanthropic arm earlier this year and was recently notified it was one of 10 winners. Sustainable Spartans worked with MSU Sustainability to submit the grant proposal and create a pitch video submitted to the fund for the 12 new solar-powered lights.

“We heard about the Ford Community Challenge Grant and we thought it was a great opportunity to fund one of our projects,” said Alexa Marsh, a Sustainable Spartans member and environmental studies and sustainability senior.

Marsh said group members noticed the need for more lighting at Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA) bus stops when they traveled across campus at night.

“With the light, students will be able to better see their direct surroundings and CATA bus drivers will be able to see riders waiting for the bus,” said Ethan Jodoin, a group member and environmental studies and sustainability senior. “The solar lights also will bring awareness to the feasibility of renewable energy use and how it will be applied more frequently in the future.”

MSU Sustainability Director Amy Butler said the project will merge technology, energy efficiency and enhanced safety, which is especially important now that MSU and CATA started last year offering free bus transportation for students, increasing ridership on campus 38 %.

“The project is a great example of how MSU empowers its students to be creative and innovative in coming up with solutions that make their lives on campus better,” Butler said. “At the same time, it provides them the tools and the resources they can take to their future communities to advance knowledge and transform lives.”

“Safety and sustainability are two of our main priorities,” said Bradley T. Funkhouser, chief operating officer at CATA. “We’re excited to contribute to the installation of solar-powered lighting at our bus stops and for our partnership with Michigan State University.”

The new lights aren’t the first time Sustainable Spartans has brought solutions to issues on campus. The group worked to install solar lights at the Akers Hall bus stop in 2016 and put a solar picnic table near Case Hall in 2015, as well as daylight sensors in the Broad College of Business to reduce electrical consumption for lighting when the sun is out. The group’s mission is to research, plan and implement projects relating to energy efficiency, food systems, water and the environment.

MSU and CATA will work with the student group to have the lights installed.