What's New - Building Integrated Photovoltaics

What's New

Building Tour -- June 20, 2002

The Wisconsin Green Building Alliance (WGBA) will host a tour of Mary Ann Cofrin Hall on Thursday, June 20, 2002 from 5:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Reservations are required. Visit the WGBA website for details.

April 4, 2002 - Public Service Receives UW Partnership Award

Chairman, President and CEO Larry Weyers accepted the UW Partnership Award bestowed by the University of Wisconsin's Board of Regents for Wisconsin Public Service's work in the Mary Ann Cofrin Hall. Each UW campus selected one recipient from all the possible public and private partners. According to UW-Green Bay Chancellor Bruce Shepard, Public Service was "the obvious choice" as the University's inaugural recipient.

In addition to Mary Ann Cofrin Hall, Chancellor Shepard also recognized Public Service's support of basic campus research in the area of ecology and animal behavior as well as hosting of Solar Olympics, a biennial event held on the campus.

March 4, 2002 - Information Kiosk Unveiling & Demonstration

An official unveiling and demonstration of the information kiosk, which is housed in the Wintergarden of Mary Ann Cofrin Hall, took place on Monday, March 4 at 10:45am. Jeff DeLaune and Nancy Wetterau from Wisconsin Public Service led the brief program. Chancellor Bruce Shepard also made a few remarks, including a first-time announcement that Public Service would be receiving a UW Partnership award on April 4, 2002.

Local stations Fox 11 and ABC Channel 2 featured stories in their Monday night and Tuesday morning newscasts. Articles were also run in the Green Bay Press Gazette and News-Chronicle. Refer to the Education and Outreach section on this website for specifics about the information kiosk.

September 28, 2001-- Building Dedication Ceremony

On Friday, September 28, 2001, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay dedicated Mary Ann Cofrin Hall, the new classroom building that is the primary focus of this Internet website. The ceremony, which was open to the public, was held at 10:00am outside the building's main entrance.

Speakers included William Kuepper (UW-Green Bay Interim Chancellor), Bruce Shepard (UW-Green Bay Chancellor-designate), Nancy Ives (Assistant Vice President of the University of Wisconsin System), Dean Rodeheaver (UW-Green Bay Assistant Chancellor for Planning and Budget), John Oates (building designer from Somerville, Inc.), and William Odell (building designer from Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum). Lieutenant Governor Margaret Farrow was invited as well. Music provided by the UW-Green Bay Wind Ensemble and Concert Choir included "M.A.C.H.01," a piece written especially for the ceremony.

Mrs. Mary Ann Harn Cofrin was also honored the evening before the dedication ceremony at a special dinner. UW-Green Bay's Assistant Chancellor Chuck Wilson was Master of Ceremonies for the program. Speakers included William Kuepper (UW-Green Bay Interim Chancellor), Mark Perkins (Immediate Past UW-Green Bay Chancellor), Bruce Shepard (UW-Green Bay Chancellor-designate), and Larry Weyers (CEO of Wisconsin Public Service). Public Service, along with UW-Green Bay, presented Mrs. Cofrin with a unique gift. This framed wall hanging included samples of the innovative building materials found throughout Mary Ann Cofrin Hall. UW-Green Bay's Chancellor Emeritus Edward Weidner also gave a special video presentation. Music was provided by harpist Cheryl Murphy.

Building Tour - September 20, 2001

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources invites you to tour the new Mary Ann Cofrin Hall as part of their Pollution Prevention week, which focuses on "Green Building."

The tour is scheduled for Thursday, September 20, beginning at 2:00pm. A brief question and answer period will follow. Please meet in the Gathering Room located just inside the main entrance to Mary Ann Cofrin Hall on the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay campus.

Mark your calendars, invite a colleague, and car pool. For more information, directions, and a listing of all "Green Building" events, visit the Wisconsin DNR online.

May 16, 2001 - Jeff DeLaune, Project Manager

Installation of the Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) vision glass modules began Wednesday, May 9. As of today, the installation of the sloped glazing is 85% complete. Photos of the installation process can be found in the photo gallery. The special wires required for the interconnection have not yet arrived, so the glazier will have to go back over the installation and insert these wires at a later date.

To perform the window installation, H.J. Martins is inserting ¾ inch plywood sections into the framing opening to serve as a platform on which to move around. An opening is caulked to provide an adhesive to prevent uplift before the window is installed. A temporary pressure plate also holds the windows in place until the permanent pressure plate is installed following the wire installation. The horizontal space between window units is finished with caulk as well to provide a smooth surface for snow and rain to flow over.

Each of the window units is electrically tested prior to installation. Only one bad module was found out of 165 units installed so far. This unit actually had a short circuit and became extremely hot. It was sent back to BP Solar for testing. To ensure good wire connections, electrical measurements will also be made after the wires are installed.

May 2, 2001 - Jeff DeLaune, Project Manager

Installation of the Vision glass modules should begin Monday May 7. H.J. Martins is just finishing the framing installation. The installation plan is to install the window units from the top, rather then from underneath. Underneath there are too many obstructions to maneuver around. The glaziers intend to lay plywood across the sloped roof and walk the window units up from a scissor lift outside the vertical curtain wall. Web Camera 3 will show this as it takes place. Solar Design Associates will be onsite to assist the glaziers and electricians for the first few days until they get comfortable with the work. Daily photos of the installation can be found on the Photo Gallery page. Pre-installation photos are there now.

Approximately 50 people toured the new building April 27 as part of the 2001 Building Expectations conference sponsored by the Energy Center of Wisconsin.

April 24, 2001 - Jeff DeLaune, Project Manager

Eighteen crates of Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) vision glass modules arrived from Viracon, Inc. last Tuesday, April 17. These are being held in a staging area, awaiting installation of the framing. The glazier, H. J. Martins, is installing the framing, some of which may be visible on the web cameras. Installation of the vision glass should begin within the next two weeks.

The new classroom building will undergo an abbreviated commissioning, which will include the BIPV, SolarWall and daylighting components. The Standing Seam Metal roofing system will be the first element to be commissioned in May 2001.

The University of Wisconsin system has chosen to name the building Mary Ann Cofrin Hall. Visit the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay's website at http://www.uwgb.edu to learn more.

Mary Ann Cofrin Hall will be highlighted in a high-performance building conference to be held in Green Bay, Wisconsin from April 26-27, 2001. 2001 Building Expectations, sponsored by the Energy Center of Wisconsin, will provide walk-through tours to attendees to show the BIPV, daylighting, efficient lighting, and SolarWall technologies of the building.

April 5, 2001 - Jeff DeLaune, Project Manager

The Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) Vision Glass installation has begun. The glazier, H. J. Martins, is installing the framing and should be done in a couple of weeks. Viracon has completed assembling the window units and plans to ship them from Minnesota to Green Bay in the next few days. H.J. Martins should have them the week of April 9.

The system we have designed uses 251 of these windows. We have another 20 spares to cover breakage. This is an exciting time, the first installation of this double-pane photovoltaic window unit in the United States. Window installation will begin around the week of April 16.

The Data Acquisition System is being programmed and should be installed before mid-May 2001. Live data should be available around mid-June 2001.

March 27, 2001 - Jeff DeLaune, Project Manager

The Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) roofing installation is complete with the final hookup of the power conversion equipment. The system will go live after it is commissioned in April 2001.

The BIPV vision glass installation is quickly approaching. The glazier (H. J. Martins) is expecting to begin installing the framing this week.

Work should be completed in about two weeks. The vision glass is scheduled to arrive April 16; installation should begin almost immediately. The final design of the window units has caused us to redesign the system-wiring scheme. We will need to replace the 10 kW Trace Technologies inverter (which has already been installed) with several smaller units.

The Data Acquisition System has been designed and should be installed within the next eight weeks. The campus kiosk scope and options are being finalized and development should start within the next few weeks.

January 12, 2001 - Jeff DeLaune, Project Manager

Great news! The Standing Seam Metal (SSM) roofing installation is scheduled to begin Monday, January 15, depending on weather. There is snow in the forecast for Sunday, so the start may be delayed a day or two.

On Thursday, January 11, ten crates of ten photovoltaic (PV) roofing modules were lifted to the roof of the building. We will establish a photo gallery page soon and you can see some of these photos.

We are presently working through several issues. Four spare modules have not yet been delivered. We bought these in case one or more of the primary modules does not work. We are also doing some minor tweaking to fit the modules on the roof. The modules came in at 18 inches instead of the 17.5 inches specified. The 100-panel system has grown 50 inches from the original plan. Right now we are looking at only nine inches to spare on each end of the system.

The power conversion equipment was delivered to the building site the same day as the roofing panels. One equipment room is ready for hardware the other is not. The equipment does not require a dust-free environment, so we can begin installation shortly. The finished equipment room is under the standing seam PV system, so we will be able to energize this system within the next four to six weeks. Unfortunately, the room is short on space, so we will have to be creative with mounting equipment without violating any codes.

December 20, 2000 - Jeff DeLaune, Project Manager

It is snowing today. It snowed six inches on Monday and we are supposed to get another six inches tonight. Recently, I heard from a friend in Molde, Norway that they have no snow and are experiencing autumn-like weather. Molde is 250 miles south of the Arctic Circle. Who would have expected Norway to have better building conditions than Wisconsin! David Wise of Specialty Associates (the project roofer) told me today that they now need a thaw to get the roof cleaned off so they can start roofing again. He guessed it would be three to four weeks, at the earliest, before roofing could begin. Since the average high temperature on January 18th in Green Bay is 22°F, I do not expect that thaw to come anytime soon. So we wait.

During this down time, we are focusing on the data acquisition system (DAS) and information kiosk. The DAS measurement/equipment is shown on the education and outreach page. The performance measurements will be displayed on this site, along with translations to meaningful values and historical data. We are beginning to develop a web-based kiosk that will display project, photovoltaic, and performance information in the Wintergarden area of the new building. This will be quite a collaborative effort with the number of stakeholders that are involved.

Happy Holidays!

December 13, 2000 - Jeff DeLaune, Project Manager

January has come to Green Bay. Too bad it is a month early! Temperatures have been in the low-teens, consistently, with strong winds and regular snowfall. This does not make for good roofing weather. The roofer has fallen behind schedule. In addition, skylight work must be completed on the south wing of the classroom building before the Standing Seam Metal roofing can be installed. We are hoping for installation now in early January 2001. We will be going to weekly updates to keep you current on the roofing status.

As hoped and feared, this "research project" has provided us with consistent surprises. Manufacturing the Wintergarden aluminum framing that carries the photovoltaic (PV) module wiring has presented more problems than expected. Key players are working hard to keep the delay to a minimum, but we are not likely to see the framing on site until the end of March 2001.

The power conversion equipment will be delivered to the building site this week, and early rough in work will begin. Solar Design Associates (SDA) is developing a Data Acquisition System for the PV arrays. We hope to have the spec's on this by the end of the week. The project electrician will install the components. Our desire is to add real-time performance and historical data to this web site as well as the electronic information kiosk.

November 29, 2000 - Jeff DeLaune, Project Manager

Winter has come early to Green Bay this year. We have had six to eight inches of snow in the last two weeks, delaying roofing work. The good news is that the Standing Seam Metal (SSM) roofing is scheduled to arrive in Milwaukee on or before December 4, 2000 at Specialty Associates, Inc., the project roofer. The actual installation should begin some time the week of December 11, depending on weather. Installation should take one to one and a half weeks, again depending on weather. We are looking at a completion somewhere between December 18 and 29, a nice Christmas present. Watch the web cameras! Van Den Heuvel Electric, the project electrician, will electrically test each panel after installation. Four spare panels are included in the project so any defective panels can be replaced immediately. The SSM roofing system consists of 100 panels. The full 100-panel system will be tested after the panels are wired together.

Delay of the photovoltaic vision glass is likely to cause problems with finishing the interior of the Wintergarden. Temporary close-up of this space appears to be very difficult, so interior finishing cannot be completed on schedule. The current schedule calls for construction completed by early June.

The power conversion equipment has been delivered to us. We will deliver this equipment to Van Den Heuvel Electric the end of December when the new building's electrical rooms have been built.

Watch for a photo gallery page to appear on this web site within the next few weeks.

November 12, 2000 - Jeff DeLaune, Project Manager

The factory lamination of the Standing Seam Metal roofing has proceeded quicker than we expected. We have been told that shipment should take place by November 20, 2000. The Thanksgiving Holiday is likely to confuse this somewhat, but we expect delivery sometime the week of November 27. Depending on weather and schedules, installation should occur within the first two weeks of December. It is exciting to imagine that we are only one month from having real installed photovoltaic hardware.

We also just received word that the inverter and other power conversion system components are on their way. One 700-pound pallet departed from California on November 8. We are expecting delivery around November 15. One of the transformers is coming from a different location and we are not certain, at the moment, when it will arrive.

October 26, 2000 - Jeff DeLaune, Project Manager

Our large Standing Seam Metal (SSM) roofing system is providing us ample learning opportunities. The roofing panels are in San Diego awaiting delivery to a broker who will transport them over the border to Tijuana. There are likely some additional NAFTA learning opportunities here that we could explore, but we will forego that discussion for now. Individual panels will each require two to three hours in the lamination machine. We have 104 panels: 100 for the SSM roofing system, and four spares. The results of the math, unfortunately, show that it will take about four weeks to complete the assembly process. We now expect the modules to arrive in Green Bay, Wisconsin around the first week in December and installation to follow shortly thereafter. Green Bay can turn into "White" Bay around that time, so we will watch the web cameras with interest to see how the roofers cope with the snow, ice, cold, and slippery conditions.

The power conditioning equipment is on its way to our warehouse and will be installed as soon as interior partition walls are up.

The photovoltaic (PV) vision glass continues along the development track. Currently, the edge connectors are being improved. Several other U.S. projects are also awaiting this product following its introduction on our building. We have also received inquiries from Texas, Washington, and Hong Kong about the product. Could PV vision glass be the "Killer Application" for PV?

We will be taking still photos of the roofing and power conditioning equipment installation when they occur and adding them to a new photo gallery page when they are available.

October 11, 2000 - Jeff DeLaune, Project Manager

The Building Integrated Photovoltaic activity is shifting into high gear. The Standing Seam Metal roofing product is on its way from Merchant and Evans, the manufacturer, to the United Solar Systems Corporation factory in San Diego/Tijuana. After lamination and shipping, it should arrive at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay building site the week of October 30, 2000. Specialty Associates, the project's roofer, is targeting installation for the week of November 6, 2000. Watch the web cameras for progress.

A new project timeline has the photovoltaic (PV) vision glass for the Wintergarden scheduled for installation between December 13 and January 25, 2001. That is likely to slip. Due to a very robust commercial building market, Kawneer Company's delivery of aluminum framing is running 12 to 18 weeks from the date of order. The project's glazing company, H. J. Martin, hopes to receive the framing by the end of December 2000. The PV vision glass will be available the end of March 2001; temporary close-up options for the Wintergarden are being reviewed until the glazing can be installed.

The power conversion equipment is on order and should arrive by year-end. The data acquisition system is undergoing final design; components should be ordered soon.

Typically, November is the cloudiest month of the year in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Daytime high temperatures should drop from 55 degrees Fahrenheit to around freezing over the next eight weeks. Bricking should begin in November 2000 and continue through the winter. Sections of the building will disappear behind plastic in the next few weeks.