As part of its commitment to the environment, Stone Lab leads by example in the use of solar power to create electricity and hot water for its operations.

Photovoltaic panels on the roof of the classroom building and on a solar pavilion cover 10-25% of the lab’s electricity needs, and solar thermal tubes heat most of the water the dining hall needs to feed summer students and field trip participants.

The solar pavilion, along with some behind-the-scenes technology, also offers Stone Lab students and researchers the chance to experiment with different settings to make the most efficient use of the sun’s energy. And the pavilion’s location on the southern corner of Gibraltar Island encourages the 800,000 tourists who visit Put-in-Bay each summer to think about what they can do to protect the environment both on Lake Erie and at home.