Solar-powered picnic tables enhance outdoor study and teaching space

Over the summer, two solar picnic tables were installed behind McEniry Hall next to the pollinator garden beds. Funded by the Charlotte Green Initiative (CGI) student green fund, the tables offer shaded spaces to eat, study, meet outdoors and provide a clean source of energy to charge devices.

Each solar picnic table, created by EnerFusion, features a large tabletop, seating for 11, high-speed charging ports (USB-A, USB-C, and wireless pads), and standard 110-volt outlets powered by solar energy collected by the table canopy. The tables sit next to the garden beds maintained by the UNC Charlotte Pollinator Club, which contain native plants that support pollinator species.

The space can also serve as an outdoor classroom for faculty who want students to see a tangible example of renewable energy use and experience the mental, physical and environmental benefits of green spaces. A bus stop is nearby, and the tables are easily accessible from McEniry Hall and adjacent sidewalks.

Learn more about the Charlotte Green Initiative and the Office of Sustainability.

Written by: Jenny Washam
Photos by: Kat Lawrence