It is a matter of fact that John Molson School of Business building will be having integrated photovoltaic structures into its architecture to supply both energy and heat. The solar technology produced at the University is about to make its first complete building fully embracing the green concept.
Developments are gradual yet big. Federal government offered a grant o $900, 000 to the Solar Buildings Research Network. This network is led by Andreas Athienitis, of Concordia’s Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. Projects that are ahead are municipal building in Toronto and two houses in Quebec however the real substance is our School.
The school is actually in a stage of work-in-progress. It is about to become one of the highest building in the area. The top will have integrated design with solar panels synergized with the building. There will be panels covering a major part of the building. It is estimated that around 300 square meters of the building will consist of solar cells. The two floors at the top will be without windows.
Concordia Solar Building
All the panels are perforated and linked to both thermal and electric systems to provide light and heat. The energy generated will be used to provide heated air, power computers, lights and many others. The system set in place will require only a low degree of operation and maintenance cost, as there are no moving panels or parts.
Inter-connected System
The building will be connected to the local electricity system, Hydro-Quebec’s grid. Electricity is in such a way properly managed, during sunny days excess supply will be sold to the grid whereas on cloudy or rainy days electricity will be bought from the grid.
Moreover, solar projects as such a grand surface will establish the JMSB building as innovator in the field. Concordia will be marked as a very sophisticated and advanced Canadian University. Yet, this project will benefit students as potential project and work opportunities will be made available to check performance of the system.
The other projects, for instance the two houses will also be associated to educational opportunities for students. The solar system installed on the roof of the two houses will more precisely be monitored by seven students. They will be responsible to assure that maximum production capacity is reached by the energy system.
The progress made by the ‘Solar Building Research Network” is extensive considering that they have only been present since 2005. A sum of above $6 million has been gathered from Natural Science and Engineer Research Council. There are yet many other contributors such as Sustainable Energy Technologies, Conserval Engineering, Aluminerie Alouette, Day4Energy, Regulvar, the building owners, Sevag Pogharian Design, Concordia University and the City of Toronto which generated around $2 million.
John Molson School of Business building is certainly becoming a landmark. It will be a great motivator to spread similar investment to other parts in the country as well across the world. Renewable energy is becoming more and more connected to pervasive technology/smart design.
Source: Concordia Journal
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