Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2010 - (Page 21)

HARDER WORKING ROOFS: HONDA HEADQUARTERS (LEFT) MAXIMIZES EFFICIENCIES WITH A 6,000-SQUARE-FOOT GREEN ROOF AND 126 KW PV SOLAR SYSTEM.T ECTA AMERICA'S VANTAGE POINT BUILDING (RIGHT) WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PV AND GREEN ROOF INSTALLATIONS IN FLORIDA'S SEMINOLE COUNTY. and mechanics bays bringing natural daylight to the employees therein, reducing electric lighting demand and increasing productivity. The two Satcon inverters – which convert the sun’s energy into usable power – weighing 2150 lbs (75 kW) and 1732lbs (50 kW), had to be lifted to the roof deck and maneuvered into the penthouse Inverter Room. Each inverter was interconnected to the grid about week later. The grid-tied 126.88kW DC PV system was engineered with 416-305w SunPower PowerGaurd self-ballasting modules, non-penetrating wire management system, SunPower combiner boxes, and two floor-mounted SatCon inverters. The output, averaging 600 kWh of alternating current per day, is intended to displace 12-13 percent of the facilities current demand. The system is expected to save over USD $24,000 per year at current after-tax utility rates. The solar thermal system is by Rheem Solahart. The 80-gallon thermosiphon, domestic hot-water system has two 3’ x 7’ collectors that circulate heat transfer fluid to the storage tank. The whole assembly is attached to a custom-fabricated mounting system on the roof surface. Because the tank contains a 2.4 kW booster element, it will produce virtually unlimited amounts of hot water for all Headquarter Honda employees. The green roof is comprised of Tecta Tray modular system with 5,250 – square feet of native vegetation including: Muhlly Grass Purple Love Grass, Black-eyed susans, Gaillardia,and Sunshine Mimosa, as well as 1,400square-feet of pavers. Slow drip-irrigation covers the system in four independently controlled zones and feed by a massive underground cistern system. The green-tinted, biodegradable erosion/wind netting protects the entire system for up to one year at which time it will decompose into the growing media. On a project combining sustainable technologies, one of the most difficult aspects of the project can be scheduling. Since the installers are working with a live ecosystem, Mother Nature plays an enormous role, particularly in harsh climates. “A big freeze can push everything back,” said Angie Durhman, green roof project manager for Tecta America. Florida’s recent remarkably cold winter held planting off until midMarch. In order to save time, the trays were constructed offsite indoors, and shipped to the job site in February for installation with the irrigation. This allowed for a two-day planting once the weather improved. In order to ensure the best success with their green roof, the building owner chose a 20-year, TectaGreen overburden warranty and a two-year maintenance agreement, which will help with plant establishment and elimination of invasive species. PROJECT # 2: VANTAGE POINT BUILDING The Vantage Point Building, home of Tecta Central Florida (formerly General Works) facility was constructed in 2006-2007. Built as the new home for two Central Florida branch offices, the grounds and facility were to accommodate 180 field and 30 administrative staff, all their vehicles, equipment and stock. At just over 40,000-square-feet, the roof structure was engineered to receive a modular, extensive green roof system, photovoltaic panels, thermal, and day-lighting technologies. Designed to be used to showcase state-of-the-art environmental solutions offered by the company, the roof served a dual purpose as a sales tool as well as an energy saver. In concert with a new corporate Energy Efficiency Plan and better-thanexpected system performance, the system is expected to offset grid demand by 36 percent or more and save USD $6,030 per year at current utility rates. The grid-tied 25.4 kW DC photovoltaic system was engineered with 187 – PVL-136w Uni-Solar thin film modules, non-penetrating PVC wire management system, SMA combiners and disconnects, and one pad mounted 30kW PV-Powered inverter. The output, estimated at 110 kWh of alternating current per day, would displace 30 percent of the facilities curLIVING ARCHITECTURE MONITOR SUMMER 2010 21 Image courtesy of Tecta America Corp.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2010

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2010
Contents
From the Founder
Strata
On the Roof With...
What is Integrated Design?
How Do We Move the Practice of Integrated Design Forward?
West Coast Integrated Design
Integrated Design for Solar & Green Roofs
Do Green Roofs Improve the Efficiency of PV Panels?
An Invitation to CitiesAlive! in Vancouver this Fall
GHRC Professional Development Calendar
Roof to Plate
Research Showing Early Promises
Advanced Green to Roof Maintenance Course to Launch
New GRPS
New Online Tools
New Corporate Members
Making Government Programs Work Harder

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2010