UNC Greensboro has installed solar-powered charging stations at two locations for students to recharge their micromobility devices. It’s a partnership between several University departments: UNCG Parking Operations and Campus Access Management, Campus Enterprises, Housing & Residential Life, and the UNCG Green Fund administered by the Office of Sustainability.
They can be found on Grey Drive near Coit Hall and in Spartan Village near the Lofts on Lee.
The outdoor charging stations, manufactured and installed by EnerFusion, are completely self-contained, powered only by sunlight, and exist entirely off the electrical grid. They will provide lockable storage for up to four e-bikes, e-scooters, e-skateboards, or e-hoverboards at a time, with ambient lighting activated after sunset. Users need to provide their own locks and charging cables. It should take approximately two hours to charge the average e-bike battery.
EnerFusion specializes in sustainable, green charging stations and outdoor furniture for public spaces. The University previously worked with the company in 2023, when Middle College student Neil Kapileshwariu spearheaded the addition of their solar-powered picnic tables outside Moran Commons, also underwritten by the Green Fund.
“For safety reasons, we do not allow people to charge their electric vehicles inside campus buildings” says Sean MacInnes, sustainability specialist at the University. “We had great success with the solar-powered picnic tables and are thankful to EnerFusion for helping us with another sustainable solution that will help us meet a growing student need.”
Micromobility conveyances, such as scooters, e-bikes, and hoverboards, are increasingly popular among UNCG students. Eco-friendly bikes and scooters have been available for short-term rental on campus since April 2024 through the Bird company, with discounts on hourly rates available for students.
“Students and employees can get a discount if they register with their UNCG email,” MacInnes says. “Students who are Pell Grant eligible can get a deeper discount. More information is available on the POCAM website.”
The charging stations underscore UNCG’s commitment to sustainability, and the imperative to provide for the needs and preferences of its students.
The Green Fund, created in 2016 by the Student Government Association and supported by student activity fees, operates as a campus-based grant program to help meet the goals of UNCG’s sustainability mission. Through the Green Fund, students have invested more than $500,000 in various sustainability projects that have supported education, research, and professional development opportunities for students, and which will save UNCG $76,000 over the lifetime (nine years) of various energy efficiency projects.
