King+ King Architects Office building 250kw solar array parkingcanopy

Office Building - January 2010

First USGBC LEED platinum Building in Syracuse includes 250kw solar array; if you have a passion for clean energy there is a way to accomplish your goals by working with the utility company and the betterment for the community, even if utilities first reaction is “hell no!”.

Quick Facts

Average Annual Savings

$37,500

Net Investment

$400,000

Return on Investment

9.4%

Property

Owner:: King+King Architects,LLp
Type:: Office Building
Address:: 358 West Jefferson St., Syracuse, NY
Size:: 50,000 sq ft
Designations:: Deep energy retrofit; Zero net energy

Technology

Type:: Solar PV
Installed:: January 2010
Size of System:: 250 kW
Purposes:: To generate electricity; To heat hot water; For space heating; For air-conditioning

Financial Details

Gross Cost of System:: $720,000
Value of Rebates:: $100,000
Value of Tax Credits:: $210,000
Net Cost of System:: $400,000
Annual Savings:: $37,500
Own or Lease:: Purchase with Loan
Additional Financial Notes:: Financed with a 7 year lease to own with fixed purchase price at end of lease. Array created about 90% of the energy used in this commercial building.

Professionals & Suppliers

Products:: Sunpower
Installers:: Tatium Engineers
Financing:: M&T Bank
Architects:: King & King Architects
Builders:: Heuber - Breuer
Energy Auditors:: IBC Engineers

What You Need to Know

Description:

250kw solar parking canopy. Covers about 60 cars.

Maintenance Requirements:

Very minimal. Inverters may to fail at 10 plus years

My Motivation:

We had a goal of being “off the grid” when we designed our LEED platinum renovation to this 1920s era warehouse for our office building. It ended up being in the top .1% of LEED platinum buildings in the USA at the time it was put in service in 2010. Had a 12kw array originally. 250kw Solar array followed a couple years later.

Advice:

If you have a goal and a passion it can be accomplished. Put any engineering and architectural rules of thumb on the floor and think creatively and integratively about all systems with you Mechanical and electrical and site design engineers. Minimize and eliminate overlap and duplication of systems for greatest reduction in energy use after proving a very robust energy envelop. Consider that Human beings spend lots of time in buildings and how to maximize the healthy IEQ is very important and can go hand in hand with high performance low every buildings / homes.

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