- News
16 February 2011
Solyndra CIGS PV system to provide power and teaching tool to Texas school
Irving Independent School District in Irving, TX, USA has selected GridPoint Inc of Arlington, VI to design, engineer and install a 582kW solar panel system on Lady Bird Johnson Middle School using the cylindrical thin-film copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) photovoltaic (PV) panels of Solyndra Inc of Fremont, CA, USA. Set to open in August, the school will be the largest net zero-energy school in the USA.
By using the most energy efficient materials and on-site power generation, the building’s energy consumption will be about half the consumption of a typical middle school building. “The zero-energy school will reinforce teaching and learning as it becomes an extended classroom,” says Scott Layne, assistant superintendent for support services. “With the use of efficient materials and cutting-edge renewable energy technology, the building transforms into a three-dimensional learning space,” he adds.
Designed specifically for commercial rooftops, Solyndra’s solar panels offer a low weight, non-penetrating mounting system, and superior wind and soiling performance. The system will maximize the 150,000 square foot school’s entire roof space to ensure that generation exceeds consumption. Each panel consists of 40 individual modules, wired in parallel for high current, which capture sunlight across a 360º photovoltaic surface capable of converting direct, diffuse and reflected sunlight into electricity.
“Every aspect of Lady Bird Johnson Middle School is an opportunity for its students to learn first-hand the value of renewable energy and energy conservation,” says GridPoint senior VP Jeff Ross.
The roof-mounted solar energy system will also feature an intelligent monitoring solution to record and display the current and historical energy production. This information will allow Irving Independent School District to closely monitor system performance through a web-interface.
Other key contributors to the project include architectural firm Corgan Associates, general contractor Charter Builders and IEG Consulting.
Join Semiconductor Today's LinkedIn networking and discussion group
©2006-2012
Juno Publishing and Media Solutions Ltd. All rights reserved. Semiconductor
Today and the editorial material contained within it and related media is
the copyright of Juno Publishing and Media Solutions Ltd. Reproduction in
whole or part without permission from Juno Publishing and Media Solutions
Ltd is forbidden. In most cases, permission will be granted, if the magazine
and publisher are acknowledged.