flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

The largest single sloped solar array in the country completes

Sustainability

The largest single sloped solar array in the country completes

The installation sits atop Pittsburgh’s Mill 19.


By David Malone, Associate Editor | August 13, 2020

Mill 19, a nearly quarter-mile-long structure built at Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood Green, a former brownfield site, is now home to the largest single sloped solar array in the United States.

The $5 million project includes 4,784 silicon solar panels that cover 133,000 sf across the steel frame of the original 1943 building at a slope of 20 degrees. The panels were installed using an access platform netting material, called the Spider WorkWeb, and attached to the steel skeleton of the original mill building, which envelops the two new construction buildings below. Each of the LG solar panels were preassembled and tested on the ground before being lifted into place.

The array will generate over 2 megawatts of power and produce enough energy to power 264 homes annually. Mill 19 has been designed with the goal of achieving LEED v4 Gold certification. It includes a high-performance envelope providing maximum thermal efficiency and up to 96% daylight autonomy. Storm water will be conveyed through a rainwater garden to centrally located infiltration basins. Captured rooftop rainwater will be reused in the cooling tower and for flushing in the restrooms.

Mill 19 tenants include Carnegie Mellon University’s Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing and Manufacturing Futures Initiative, and Catalyst Connection in Building A. Building B includes Aptiv, a company that recently partnered with Hyundai to create autonomous vehicles.

Scalo Solar Solutions completed the solar array installation project.

Related Stories

Green | Jul 23, 2015

NASA: U.S. headed for worst droughts in a millennium

Data from NASA shows carbon emissions could be the driving force behind devastating water shortages and record droughts in the western U.S.

Green | Jul 7, 2015

Philips sheds new light on growing fresh food indoors

A research center in The Netherlands is testing the latest techniques in urban farming. 

Green | Jun 24, 2015

6 steps toward better water management [AIA course]

When it comes to water conservation, Building Teams tend to concentrate on water-efficient plumbing fixtures, irrigation controls, graywater capture, and ways to recycle condensate from air-conditioning systems. Yet many of the best opportunities for saving water begin with big-picture thinking in a project’s earliest phases. 

Green | Jun 19, 2015

3 steps toward sustainable landscape architecture

A water-conscious, sustainable landscape is easily achievable, and the options for native and drought tolerant plants far exceed cacti and succulents, writes LPA's Richard Bienvenu.

Green | May 5, 2015

Top three 2030 Challenge trends

The growth of IPD is among the key takeaways from the USGBC Region 7 Conference.

Wood | Apr 26, 2015

Building wood towers: How high is up for timber structures?

The recent push for larger and taller wood structures may seem like an architectural fad. But Building Teams around the world are starting to use more large-scale structural wood systems. 

Green | Apr 7, 2015

USGBC survey shows Fortune 200 companies prioritize green building

The world’s top-performing companies are prioritizing sustainability as part of their corporate social responsibility efforts, and a majority of them are using LEED to achieve their goals, according to the new survey.

Green | Apr 1, 2015

Global wind power installations expected to slow through 2019

After a 20% falloff in 2013, the global wind power industry made a strong comeback in 2014, with a record 51.2 gigawatts installed. But a new report from Navigant Research forecasts a curtailment in growth.

Cultural Facilities | Mar 31, 2015

Pratt Institute to offer first-ever degree in placemaking

As part of its new Urban Placemaking and Management degree, Pratt will offer courses on topics such as "the history and theory of public space" and the "economics of place."

Green | Mar 25, 2015

WELL Building Standard introduced in China

The WELL Building Standard is a performance-based system for measuring, certifying and monitoring features that impact human health and wellbeing, through air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort, and mind.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




Government Buildings

One of the country’s first all-electric fire stations will use no outside energy sources

Charlotte, N.C.’s new Fire Station #30 will be one of the country’s first all-electric fire stations, using no outside energy sources other than diesel fuel for one or two of the fire trucks. Multiple energy sources will power the station, including solar roof panels and geothermal wells. The two-story building features three truck bays, two fire poles, dispatch area, contamination room, and gear storage.

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021