Factory-applied solar laminates power Providence College’s sustainable addition
When Providence (R.I.) College expanded its Slavin Center by 8,800 sf, the school asked architects Symmes Maini & McKee Associates, Cambridge, Mass., to incorporate sustainable elements into the student union. One of the green elements the firm specified was a building-integrated photovoltaic system called ATA-Solar, manufactured by ATAS International. The three-part, factory-applied PV system includes metal roof panels, thin-film amorphous silicon laminates, and electrical components. The flexible PV laminates resist hail damage, can be walked on, are shade tolerant, and can be fitted to curved roofs. Roofing Concepts, East Greenwich, R.I., installed 4,880 sf of 24-gauge steel standing-seam roof panels with 72 18-foot-long PV laminates (each rated at 136 watts) on the student center. The installation produces 9.792 kW.