Trinity Property Management Inc. collaborated with Solar Design Associates to successfully install a unique translucent solar installation on the glass atrium of a top property in historic Harvard Square.
Trinity’s project at 50 Church Street will enable the building’s atrium and roof to generate up to 66 kilowatts of solar photovoltaic energy while maintaining a wide view of the atrium area. The project also ensures more effective year-round temperature control in popular spaces, provides additional meeting and work spaces for office tenants, and provides venues for multiple community events and functions.
The renovation of 50 Church was designed by architect Bruner/Cott & Associates, and at the same time solved several long-term challenges of the building:
“We have turned 50 Chapel Street into a more attractive, more comfortable, greener and more sustainable building for all our tenants, visitors and Trinity’s corporate offices,” said John DiGiovanni, President of Trinity Property He is also the President of Harvard University's Plaza Business Association. “Although we can integrate solar modules to form a glass atrium ceiling, this innovative collaborative solution allows us to obtain all the benefits of the current generation of solar photovoltaics, even if we remain flexible in the future to replace more efficient solar panels for many years. There is no need to replace the glass ceiling in the atrium."
The project uses a translucent panel manufactured by Lumos Solar in Colorado, which allows about 50% of the sunlight to enter the atrium space for natural lighting and passive cold-season space heating, while generating solar photovoltaic energy. Approximately 10 kilowatts of solar panels are installed on the atrium glass, and another 56 kilowatts of solar panels are installed on the top room and tower structure of the building. Combined, they can generate enough electricity in a year to meet the needs of 10 medium-sized households in Massachusetts, and offset a significant portion of the total electricity consumption of 50 Church Street.
Haskell Werlin of Solar Design Associates is the owner’s engineer responsible for overseeing the project. He said that the project has produced a lot of practical experience on the most effective way to install translucent solar panels, including separating the array from the glass and installing the modules as Rain screens mounted on custom rails are suspended 9 inches above the glass so that they can be replaced in the event of breakage or damage, without the need to replace the actual roof glass.
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