USC Sunshine Coast will celebrate its plans to become a solar-powered campus with an ethereal and interactive light trail for the whole community to enjoy during December.

The first ever Solar Nights event will run for 10 nights from 14 to 24 December between 6.30pm and 9pm, in a celebration of USC’s new sustainable solar status.

USC Vice-Chancellor Professor Greg Hill said a trail of lights and glowing sculptures would welcome visitors to the campus, in a free after-dark event suitable for the whole family.

“We wanted to create a fun event to share with the community that supports us, and so we have decided to illuminate the campus with different lights, effects and installations,” he said.

The glowing display trail, and several of the installations, have been designed by USC staff and offer an opportunity for colourful photos.

“Solar Nights also celebrates our partnership with Veolia to install 6,000 solar panels and eventually a water battery at no upfront cost to the University,” Professor Hill said.

“The system will cut energy use at our Sunshine Coast campus by 40 percent in a first for an Australian university, and a massive step towards USC’s goal to become carbon neutral by 2025.”

The clean energy system will eventually be used as a teaching tool across the university, particularly for engineering students.

Media are invited to a special preview for staff and students on Thursday 13 December.

USC has also sponsored a series of community Christmas events from the Fraser Coast to Moreton Bay including: Caboolture Christmas Carols (25 November), North Lakes Christmas Carols (2 December), Maryborough Carols in the Park (9 December), Hervey Bay Carols by Candlelight.

USC is a world-class teaching and research university — explore our various research and teaching centres and our newest USC Moreton Bay facility opening in Petrie in 2020.