March 2008 Archives
In the spring of 2005 at the University of Colorado (while I was studying there), students
voted on the Sustainable CU Referendum which
dedicates $2.80 per student per semester to implement
on campus projects incorporating renewable
energy, energy efficiency, recycling and
waste reduction, and other innovative
projects to reduce the campus' impact on the
climate and our environment.
Now that the vote has passed, decisions are being made as to where the money should go and one of the chosen projects is to put a 10 Kilowatt Solar Array onto the new Wolf Law Building (on the south end of campus near Kittredge residence halls, where I happened to be an RA for two years). While there is some dispute as to what part of the roof the panels should be placed on, in order to meet the aesthetic standard of the school while at the same time withstanding the elements of snow and wind and also to keeping the panels in view to have them act as a "billboard" for sustainable solar development, there is a plan coming together.
Part of the final plan is to build a steel lattice and mount the panels on a flat section of the roof of the Wolf Law building and then link the panels to kiosks within the school - displaying stats on how much energy is being generated. This way, the aesthetic piece of the puzzle is met but students still have an awareness as to the existence of solar power on the school. I would love to see other schools at the University of Colorado, including the LEEDs school of business which was just updated and renovated, add solar to their structures as well.
I have attached the complete proposal by ELS - the Environmental Law Society, to this entry here CU Wolf Law Solar Proposals.doc and more information can be found by visiting the CU Environmental website on Greening CU. Below are a few pictures of the Wolf Law building that will be receiving solar panels.
Photos by Jeff Goldberg/Esto from World Architecture News
Now that the vote has passed, decisions are being made as to where the money should go and one of the chosen projects is to put a 10 Kilowatt Solar Array onto the new Wolf Law Building (on the south end of campus near Kittredge residence halls, where I happened to be an RA for two years). While there is some dispute as to what part of the roof the panels should be placed on, in order to meet the aesthetic standard of the school while at the same time withstanding the elements of snow and wind and also to keeping the panels in view to have them act as a "billboard" for sustainable solar development, there is a plan coming together.
Part of the final plan is to build a steel lattice and mount the panels on a flat section of the roof of the Wolf Law building and then link the panels to kiosks within the school - displaying stats on how much energy is being generated. This way, the aesthetic piece of the puzzle is met but students still have an awareness as to the existence of solar power on the school. I would love to see other schools at the University of Colorado, including the LEEDs school of business which was just updated and renovated, add solar to their structures as well.
I have attached the complete proposal by ELS - the Environmental Law Society, to this entry here CU Wolf Law Solar Proposals.doc and more information can be found by visiting the CU Environmental website on Greening CU. Below are a few pictures of the Wolf Law building that will be receiving solar panels.
Photos by Jeff Goldberg/Esto from World Architecture News
When one thinks of ways to lower the cost point for solar energy installations, the first thing that comes to mind is usually cutting edge technology like what Nanosolar has developed using silicon crystals or thin film deposits. But these technologies have proven difficult and expensive to perfect and have sunk more than one innovative company. Since the photovoltaic hardware is generally only 30-50% of the cost of a typical installation, there has been a more pedestrian place to look to cut costs and it doesn't have to be in renting solar.
Despite rising silicon prices, the price per kW has decreased due to the use of modelling software. Some examples are Clean Power’s CPF Tools, OnGrid, and PVOptimize. These can streamline the design and estimating of a project, as well as produce easier, quicker, and ultimately cheaper installations. Many of these tools are being coupled with financing tools to provide a model for small-scale loan originations and all of this makes going solar an easier and more cost effective process.
There are other back-end monitoring tools that allow for installation feedback and these are available from companies like Fat Spaniel Technologies. These tools help to ensure that the installation is performing to its full potential, thereby further ensuring a cost-effective installation. Tools like this should help the solar industry mature and, by becoming more cost-effective, become more mainstream.
Despite rising silicon prices, the price per kW has decreased due to the use of modelling software. Some examples are Clean Power’s CPF Tools, OnGrid, and PVOptimize. These can streamline the design and estimating of a project, as well as produce easier, quicker, and ultimately cheaper installations. Many of these tools are being coupled with financing tools to provide a model for small-scale loan originations and all of this makes going solar an easier and more cost effective process.
There are other back-end monitoring tools that allow for installation feedback and these are available from companies like Fat Spaniel Technologies. These tools help to ensure that the installation is performing to its full potential, thereby further ensuring a cost-effective installation. Tools like this should help the solar industry mature and, by becoming more cost-effective, become more mainstream.
The days of obtrusive and often ugly solar panels mounted on the roof or yard may be gone. SunTech Power of China has positioned themselves as a leader in designing and manufacturing building-integrated photovoltaic products (BIPV). Transparent glass panels can be used as windows, skylights, roofs, curtain walls, and almost any vertical or sloped construction surface. Black panels that are designed to be aesthetically pleasing and weatherproof are used mainly for roof structures. A typical roof installation can produce 2kW for a relatively affordable price. What makes them more affordable than typical PV installations is that they don’t mount onto the normal building structure, they replace the normal structure.
The panels are made by sandwiching a layer of thin-film amorphous silicon (.3 micron thick) between layers of tempered glass. They are finished with aluminum structures and multiple weather-proofing. This provides a weather-tight and structurally sound building material, built to withstand wind, hail, and earthquakes.
These materials have been used in housing developments, warehouses, public buildings, and skyscrapers for several years, with the first demonstration applications appearing in 1998. BIPV products are available worldwide, and can be custom ordered to match the architecture and needs of the application.
Two images shown below are of BIPV technology in the Hong Kong Science Park
The panels are made by sandwiching a layer of thin-film amorphous silicon (.3 micron thick) between layers of tempered glass. They are finished with aluminum structures and multiple weather-proofing. This provides a weather-tight and structurally sound building material, built to withstand wind, hail, and earthquakes.
These materials have been used in housing developments, warehouses, public buildings, and skyscrapers for several years, with the first demonstration applications appearing in 1998. BIPV products are available worldwide, and can be custom ordered to match the architecture and needs of the application.
Two images shown below are of BIPV technology in the Hong Kong Science Park
Solar Resources
State Programs
