The Idea Garden’s mission statement is “helping others learn to grow.” The site is maintained entirely by volunteers in the Master Gardening program, with the primary objective of providing a learning environment for University of Illinois students, faculty and staff, and for promoting environmentally responsible gardening practices. A primary goal of this project is to advance Idea Garden’s mission and provide an opportunity to “learn to grow” through the use of environmentally responsible practices, like solar-powered electricity generation. This project will involve installing solar panels on the roof of the Idea Garden shed or in an adjacent area at the garden to supply a source of electricity since the shed and garden does not have utilities.

Solar electrification at the Idea Garden shed will improve sustainability since our solar panels will generate electricity through photo voltaic cells, as opposed to other non-sustainable sources of electric power. This project will be a destination for students and the general public alike to view a solar power installation on a very intimate scale. This team will lead by example, showing that solar power can be achieved on a small scale, inspiring students and faculty that visit the Idea Garden to implement similar solar projects at alternative locations, like garden sheds.