Put-in Bay, Ohio
Stone Laboratory is an OSU research facility located on Gibraltar Island in Lake Erie. In order to complement their biological research and education they did a series of solar energy projects.
Phase 1 - Solar hotwater
The hotwater for the dining hall is heated by 3 evacuated tube solar heat collectors.
Phase 2 - Solar Pavilion and Adjustable Arrays
The pavilion serves numerous purposes. Generation of electricity, data collection, outdoor classroom, event space and research. The design concept was to highlight the technology while creating a dynamic space. The panels become the roofing material. Light is visible through the translucent areas of the panels.
Adjustable Arrays
Two arrays were mounted on concrete pads on the ground. The angle of these can easily be adjusted, so that the impact of the angle can be studied in real time. The panels can also have dirt or other contaminants applied to see what the effect on energy production is.
Phase 3 - Roof Mounted Photovoltaics
Phase 3 consisted of adding more power generation along with roof access and fall protection. In order to diversify the data that can be collected; phase 3 utilizes string inverter and different photovoltaic array technologies than phase 2. All of these combinations log data to a database that researchers use to test the effectiveness of each technology. This data can be analyzed based on weather, season and time of day.
Construction