Pivot Energy and Morgan Creek Ventures (MCV) have completed Phase 2 of Boulder Commons' integrated 318 kW solar energy project.
When planning the project, it turned out that the solar roof alone could not achieve MCV's energy goals because the Boulder Commons structures are four-story buildings in a cold climate and require a lot of energy. The solution was to install 101 kW vertically mounted solar modules on the south-east facade in addition to 217 kW on the roof.
In order to accompany this unique building-integrated photovoltaic project (BIPV) from concept to completion, MCV brought in the national solar provider Pivot Energy, the Colorado architect Coburn and the BIPV specialist for solar technology Solmotiv. Together, the team designed and developed a bespoke vertical facade and ballasted PV roof system that generates a total of 318 kW, helping MCV achieve its goal of making Boulder Commons a high-performance building.
"We were thrilled when Pivot Energy took on the challenge of helping design and construct the vertical array," said Matthew Beery, MCV site manager. "Other developers were reluctant to test the design of a vertical facade, but the pivot team was eager to do everything possible to help us achieve our goals."
Key players in the design and development of Boulder Commons also see the project as an exciting look at a new paradigm for truly sustainable building design.
“It was tremendous helping MCV achieve its high performance energy goals for this unique project, and the additional 101 kW on the vertical facade was critical to that result,” noted Mat Elmore, vice president of business development for Pivot Energy. “It is estimated that the entire system will save the equivalent of 4,384 tons of CO2 in 20 years, which is equivalent to taking 953 cars off the road. Boulder Commons shows again how ambitious goals and creative design can open a future of truly sustainable buildings. "
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