Sacramento Debuts Large Building Integrated PV
A new campus of California State office buildings, dubbed the East
End Complex, is under construction in Sacramento. Like many large
commercial buildings, glass ‘curtain walls’ were planned
as an integral part of the exterior. The Sacramento Municipal Utility
District (SMUD) worked with the building design team to have a portion
of the curtain wall generate solar electricity for the building.
The solar active curtain wall became the first example of BIPV (building
integrated PV) systems in new Sacramento buildings under the SMUD
BIPV program.
As part of the East End Complex, SMUD and the State are also providing
solarports atop new parking structures. The first East End Solarport
was completed this year. This system provides shaded parking and
pumps 21 kW into the structure’s lights, elevators and other
power circuits. Another solarport (41 kW) is scheduled to be installed
fall 2002. The remaining office buildings will use an additional
125 kW of BIPV incorporated into curtain walls and screen walls
on the mechanical penthouses. The penthouses are designed to pick
up all sun orientations and supplement electrical service during
all seasons of the year and sunlight hours.
Completed in mid-2000, the CalEPA headquarters building has an
operational 30 kW building attached PV (BAPV) system that feeds
directly into the building’s electrical panel. Several other
BIPV and the more traditional BAPV applications are being incorporated
in various new projects currently under development.
The California State Franchise Tax Board is planning a BIPV and
BAPV system of over 1MW for its new facility. Using PV modules provided
by SMUD, a PowerLight system will be installed, adhering the modules
to a traditional foam roof-insulating panel that will allow positive
roof drainage and a seamless installation.
Look for more state buildings with photovoltaics as Governor Davis
in September signed SBXX 82 (Murray) that requires solar energy
equipment installations on all state buildings and parking facilities
where feasible by January 1, 2007.
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