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public tv/radio station chooses a green future
renewables complement a strikingly modern new studio for PBS
Boston’s Public Broadcasting affiliate, WGBH, wanted to make its new headquarters an environmentally responsive, "green" structure, incorporating energy efficiency measures during the construction phase as well as in the completed building. SDA contributed turn-key design, financing and construction services to help realize their vision.
solar joins the major leagues
All-Star Game features a solar-powered scoreboard and more
In an overwhelming expression of support for renewable energy, San Francisco voters approved a referendum for a $100M bond issue exclusively to field renewables in the city. While the program is focused on city-owned facilities, it has spurred a groundswell of interest from the private sector including the area's largest utility, Pacific Gas and Electric. PG&E retained SDA to assess opportunities for PV at AT+T Park that would be most visible to the public.
twenty-first century farmstead is energy-independent
Comfortable living in a challenging climate with no energy bills
A private client wanted a traditional New England farmstead as their primary residence and asked that it be powered completely by renewable energy.SDA responded by designing a south-facing integrated electric roof of high-efficiency silicon solar cells for the traditional out barn.
SDA engineers installing a rooftop PV system at the Museum of Russian Icons, Clinton, MA
building restoration houses art treasures
A New England mill town welcomes ancient artworks
Businessman Gordon Lankton had a dream: to house and preserve his collection of Russian religious art for future generations. He resolved to transform the 150-year-old former post office on Central Park in Clinton, Massachusetts into a showplace and education center devoted to Russian painted icons. Although the art collection displayed in his museum is hundreds of years old, it would be supported by the newest green technologies, including solar electricity.
environmental resource center powered by renewable energy
rural education center is a model of sustainability
When the Tin Mountain Conservation Center wanted to construct an resource-efficient, zero-energy headquarters, Solar Design Associates provided turnkey rooftop solar electric and thermal systems with radiant heating.
Roof array of photovoltaic panels on Sophia Gordon Hall at Tufts
college gives students a model of sustainable living and learning
a university commits to renewables with a green residence hall
Tufts University, working with a $500,000 grant from the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust, wanted to integrate photovoltaics and high-efficiency features into the design and construction of a new student residence facility, Sophia Gordon Hall. This new building represents an important milestone in Tufts' commitment to decrease the generation of greenhouse gasses from university activities. The project provides high visibility for renewables and energy technologies in a location that is home to about 150 students, a connecting walkway for many of the Tufts 4800 undergraduates, 1500 graduate students, and 2100 faculty and staff, and that is situated on a main road with high public visibility.
U.S. Mission to the United Nations, Geneva
state department photo
first integrated PV system at a U.S. diplomatic post
SDA designs a new 'solar skin' for the US Mission to the United Nations
SDA provided design and engineering services to the US State Department to field a new Building-integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) “skin” at the US Mission to the United Nations in Geneva.
Tiger Woods chose PV technologies engineered by SDA for his Anaheim learning center for children.
a golf legend builds a legacy
SDA engineers an innovative design at Tiger Woods Center.
Although Tiger Woods won 10 major championships in his first decade on the PGA Tour, he says his most important legacy is his solar-powered Learning Center in Anaheim, CA, not far from where he grew up.
Seattle Public Library's Ballard Branch
photo spl
seattle library reads solar as the right choice
SDA delivers an elegant and innovative BIPV system
The Seattle Public Library wanted its Ballard Branch Library and Neighborhood Center to be a environmentally responsive facility using the latest technology, that also reflects the materials and heritage of the Pacific Northwest.
This dramatic BIPV entrance canopy both functions and fascinates
solar canopy sparks interest at MITRE
SDA engineers a visible symbol of sustainability for high-tech R&D center
The MITRE Center is a high-technology R, D & D facility near Boston, with its origins at MIT. When they needed additional space, they sought to create a new facility that would communicate the high-tech, future-oriented nature of their work.
union harnesses the power of sun and wind
Massachusetts electricians bank on renewables
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers is at the forefront of a movement by American labor toward emerging solar and wind energy technologies. The technical proficiency of workers in the building trades installing renewable energy systems is growing.
environmental education in the adirondacks
SDA designs PV and data monitoring systems for a rural museum
The Adirondack Park is the largest park in the United States outside Alaska. It draws millions of visitors each year, over 100,000 of whom stop at the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake, N.Y. The serious and long-term damage being wreaked by acid rain is painfully evident in this area, where nearly a third of the region's 2800 lakes are biologically dead.
The Solaire, Battery Park, New York City
photo courtesy of GE
manhattan turns its face to the sun
SDA engineers solar-powered beauty at Battery Park City
Developers competing for the highly desirable parcels in Battery Park City on New York's lower West Side were encouraged to incorporate green technologies and environmentally responsive design into their proposals.
students acquire renewable energy skills on high school campus
Photovoltaic roof array inspires students to learn more about renewable energy and the environment
Funded by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative Green Buildings Program, the Media and Technology Charter High School (MATCH School) has incorporated many sustainable design features into its building. A high standard of excellence in academics and personal responsibility characterizes the culture at the school.SDA contributed design and installation expertise for a PV roof array as well as a Data Aquisition and Monitoring System.
a light-filled northern oasis
Mary Coffin Hall at the University of Wisconsin pioneers building-integrated photovoltaics for Higher Education
The University of Wisconsin This new classroom building offered the opportunity to investigate the emerging field of Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV).Solar Design Associates attended early design meetings to bring the stakeholders up to speed on the technology, its current use in Europe and Japan, and its potential applications. It was decided that the design would look for ways to incorporate BIPV technology, but the technology would not drive the classroom building design.
The concept design work (35% design) was completed in October 1998. In November 1998, Solar Design Associates submitted their design report, recommending locations where BIPV products could be substituted for traditional standing seem metal roofing and vision glass.
Chattanooga's Finley Stadium features photovoltiacs in its shaded parking area
hot new energy source for america's largest public utility
SDA provides design/build services for TVA solar program
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), created in 1933, is the nation's largest public utility, serving Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia through distributor networks and local public power companies. The TVA's Green Power Switch program promotes renewable resources like solar power to produce electricity for the Tennessee Valley's service area. Starting in April of 2000, TVA has fielded dozens of solar electric systems throughout its seven-state area.
Lewis Center, Oberlin College
architect: Wm. McDonough + Partners
photo: Barney Taxell
world's first fully solar-powered academic facility
SDA engineers a model PV system and teaching tool for Oberlin College
The Chair of the Environmental Studies Department at Oberlin, Dr. David Orr, wanted his new academic facility to be powered completely by solar energy. SDA provided a range of services to help him accomplish this goal.
The Tofte Cabin, Minnesota
sun, wind and water - an elemental retreat
compact cabin embodies 'small is beautiful' while achieving a zero-energy status
For this vacation retreat on the shore of Lake Superior, SDA worked cooperatively with architect Sarah Nettleton to fulfill the owner's goal of reducing the ecological impact of the building to as close to zero as possible.
The Lillis Center at the University of Oregon
photo by Lundquist College of Business
oregon means green business
SDA engineers largest BIPV curtainwall in the Northwest
In planning its Lillis complex for the School of Business, the University of Oregon administration was looking for a green, forward-thinking vibe to complement and blend with its existing buildings.
Electrical workers install PV system on
the roof of their union hall.
renewable energy means jobs for electrical workers
SDA partners with union on PV system design, training and installation
Local 332, the largest local of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in Northern California, set multiple goals for their new union headquarters and NJATC regional training center:- provide a home for the IBEW Local 332
- integrate photovoltaics and green building principles where possible
- serve as venue for education of union members and the public.
BP gas stations are using sun power!
bp service stations worldwide go on a low-carbon diet
Solar Design helps one of the world's largest oil companies power its gas stations with solar electricity.
When BP wanted to employ solar electricity to power their gas stations, they retained Solar Design Associates to provide design, engineering, code and utility compliance, construction oversight and acceptance testing.
A field of 'Electric Sunflowers' blooms in the rolling hills of northern California.
electric flowers capture sunlight for a california vineyard
A remote landscape yields its own power
A private client desired to use solar energy to power their country residence and vineyard in the hilly wine country above the Napa Valley in northern California.They retained SDA with a few key requirements: the system had to be efficient and enjoy
Solar comes back to the White House with SDA's PV and thermal installations.
white house re-enters the age of renewables
After more than two decades, solar equipment is back at the White House, quietly heating water and generating electricity and serving as a symbol of real energy security. SDA worked with National Park Service architects to create this practical and highl
Solar at the Summer Olympics
Photo © Georgia Institute of Technology 2006.
giant solar canopy makes a splash at Summer Olympics
SDA engineers two PV systems for Georgia Tech Aquatic Center
For the 1996 Summer Olympics, the Georgia Institute of Technology partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy and Georgia Power to create an open-air Natatorium seating 15,000. The swimming venue featured the largest-to-date rooftop PV array in the world
a utility spreads the sustainable energy message
SDA supports large-scale utility solar deployment in California
In 1993, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) retained Solar Design Associates to provide program definition and technical support to their in-house engineering group for their pioneering solar program.Following the example set by SDA in creating the First Solar Neighborhood in Gardner, MA, SMUD embarked on an ambitious plan to install PV systems on many hundreds of their customers' buildings each year.
Over the past decade, SMUD has fielded hundreds of PV systems, ranging from residences and commercial buildings to substations and multi-megawatt central station power plants.
In the harsh Maine winter, this energy-conscious house produces its own heat, hot water and electricity from the sun that shines on its roof.
sda photo
all-solar residence is family's dream home
SDA designs an energy-efficient solution for a cold climate
Owners Bill and Deborah Lord had a plan to retire to the coast of Maine, and knew they wanted a solar house. Their most pressing priorities were family and a sustainable future; the house had to comfortably accommodate regular visits from their children and grandchildren.
academic research and learning facility powered by solar energy
SDA engineers innovative PV sunshades for Environmental and Atmospheric Science Center
The Center for Environmental Sciences and Technology Management at the State University of New York in Albany combines research laboratories, a business "incubator" for technology transfer, and the National Weather Service forecasting office.
This innovative home introduced solar electric and
thermal technologies to a wide audience.
sda photo
all-solar house gives a vision of the sustainable future
SDA teams with an electric utility to design a solar showplace
In 1983, SDA was commissioned by a local utility, Boston Edison, to design and construct the PV-powered zero-energy `Impact 2000' House. The utility asked SDA to demonstrate of future trends in technology and environmentally responsive design that would be commonplace in twenty years.
Carlisle house - SDA's first-in-the-nation PV powered residence
sda photo
first home powered by photovoltaics
SDA engineers world's first PV house
Working under contract with the US Department of Energy (DOE), SDA developed the first building integrated PV system and constructed a prototype residential roof for evaluation by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Later that same year, MIT commissioned Solar Design Associates to design and engineer a 3,200 sq. ft. energy-efficient, passive solar residence powered by PV.
historic mill morphs into a showplace of sustainability
SDA designs a PV System for Mill Reclamation
Owner Robert Ansin's vision was to revitalize his former textile factory and transform it, using sound environmental and economic means, into a model of new thinking and learning about sustainable development.
Boston high-rise has first grid-connected PV system in the U.S.
solar thermal - not just for individual homes
SDA engineers solar thermal for a multi-unit housing complex
Planners wanted to incorporate solar energy into this 286-unit, moderate-income housing complex near Boston. SDA recommended solar domestic water heating as the most cost-effective approach.
kids experience the future now at california science center
SDA delivers a turn-key BIPV project with dramatic results
In keeping with their mission to make science an exciting, hands-on experience for the general public, the Discovery Center approached Solar Design to make the Cube itself an applied science exhibit, as well as their icon, by cladding
Hot summers, cold winters....the owners of this home stay comfortable year-round with their solar electric and solar thermal sytems.
lakeside home sustains itself on sunlight
SDA crafts a zero-energy luxury home
With backgrounds in high tech, Jeff Martin and his wife Bron wanted their new home to incorporate the latest in clean, green technologies. SDA designed a solar-powered residence which obtains its heating, cooling, hot water and electricity from the sun.
The first Solar Neighborhood in Gardner MA demonstrated the possibilities for large-scale deployment of renewable energy systems
sda photo
world's first solar-powered neighborhood
SDA demonstrates possibilities for large-scale deployment of roof-top renewable energy systems
In the early 1980’s, working with New England Electric, SDA designed and installed over 30 retrofit PV applications on homes, a Burger King, Town Hall and Town Library, to create the world's first solar-powered neighborhood in the central Massachusetts town of Gardner.
Bahamas private island
a private Bahamas retreat features luxury made possible by renewable energy systems
On a private island in the Bahamas with a fragile ecosystem, SDA helped create a private residential compound with a marina for a discerning client.
sustained by the sun
belize island resort boasts the Caribbean's largest solar power system
On a Caribbean island off the Belize coast, SDA designed and built the largest solar power system in the Caribbean basin to power a eco resort complex of 25 buildings.
SDA designed solar sunshades for Environmental Protection Agency lab
epa goes green with solar sunshades
SDA helps the EPA integrate renewables at its New England Regional Laboratory
The EPA's New England Regional Laboratory in Eastern Massachusetts is meeting a portion of its electricity needs on-site with custom solar sunshades developed by Solar Design Associates in concert with curtain wall giant Kawneer. The remainder of the EPA's electricity needs
Outermost House, Martha's Vineyard
energy independence at a remote site
Outermost House proves that even remote old historic buildings can integrate renewable energy
Located on a secluded beachfront site on an island off the coast of Massachusetts, this historic structure was painstakingly relocated to its current site, retaining all of its original materials and charm, but placing it 2.5 miles from the closest utility power line.On site electricity generation and storage were required, and Solar Design Associates was called in to find a solution.
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