APA Citation:
Poirier, J. (2012). Bohemian.com: News, music, movies, and wine culture in Sonoma, Marin and Napa Counties. Solar Fun and Profit: Twin Hills leads nation in school-based charging stations. January 26th, 2012. http://www.bohemian.com/northbay/solar-fun-and-profit/Content?oid=2274478

Solar Fun and Profit
Twin Hills leads nation in school-based charging stations
by Juliane Poirier

The first public schools in the United States to be equipped with solar-powered charging stations are in Sonoma County, where four schools turn sunlight into money.

“It’s an awesome project,” says Les Crawford, superintendent of Sebastopol’s Twin Hills District, which used local and federal bond money for a solar-energy system and vehicle-charging stations. “This solar project exceeded our expectations. Not only do we no longer use PG&E power, they are paying us a one-time incentive bonus of about $350,000 paid over five years, which will go into a maintenance fund for our solar equipment.”

Twin Hills now saves $80,000 per year on power, a savings that can now be used for educational purposes. So while other districts are making cuts due to the state’s financial crises, Twin Hills can boast to have retained staffing, avoided scheduling cuts, added classes and increased enrollment.

Alexis Persinger, architect for Twin Hills, explains that schools and solar systems make a perfect fit because schools can sell the power accumulated but not used during summer months. “PG&E wants people to use less power during the summer, because the statewide grid doesn’t have enough electricity to run all the air conditioners in Los Angeles,” says Persinger. “PG&E charges 30 cents per kilowatt hour at that time and will buy it at that same rate.”

Persinger encouraged Twin Hills—along with a number of other school districts—to apply for an Obama administration Clean Renewable Energy Bond, which allows them to borrow money at a low interest rate. Combined with the local bond money raised last fall by Measure M, Twin Hills was able to finance the project and start saving immediately. “There aren’t years to wait before you make money back,” Persinger explains. “The first day you run the system, the district is making money, which is very important right now as the state is cutting back schools. Any money you can bring in is revenue.”

Crawford says the solar-power system brings “added value” to the schools by raising the quality of life and inspiring new learning opportunities. “Rather than roof panels, we placed most panels on kid ports for shade or rain protection, bus waiting areas and car ports. And areas that were once dark in winter are lighted now, which is nicer and much safer. The solar project has also been a springboard for some powerful curriculum about sustainability.”

Persinger also sees added value in the charging stations. “They’re a way for the district to encourage parents and employees to move into this new era of electric cars and solar panels.”

The curvelinear facade of Roseland University Prep.

Modular frames offer many advantages to standard ground up construction. First off modular buildings offer a significant reduction in construction costs, engineering cost, review time, and fabrication time. Modular frames are often shipped to the site and erected there making the building entirely site built, but because the entire frame can be erected in only a day or two (for smaller buildings) the construction time is dramatically reduced. Modular buildings can also be built with moment frames, meaning no shear walls or diagonal structural members are needed, allowing for full glass walls, a very expensive task in normal construction.

Modular posts and ceilings being installed on site for the Roseland Elementary Library

We have experience with many modular companies including Jeff Luchetti Construction and American Modular. At the moment we are working with Jeff Luchetti Construction on a two story modular at Parkside Intermediate School. In each case the buildings we have constructed have met all the client’s needs and often surpassed the client’s wildest dreams for a modular building.

Modern technology offers many benefits for regenerative design. Technology can greatly reduce energy loads and monitor the building, controlling systems so that the building becomes almost living, reacting to the changes in the environment. The most important aspect of regenerative architecture is, however, passive design. By using the power of nature a building can remain comfortable almost every day without any energy use.

Vernacular architecture, prior to the industrial revolution, offers examples of passive designs keeping buildings comfortable in almost any climate. Ancient adobe structures throughout the American southwest remain comfortable during even the warmest days of the year, without the use of HVAC. This is possible because of the many passive design techniques used. The buildings are oriented with the longest sides running east-west in order to maximize southern exposure. The large thermal mass of the adobe structure absorbs the cool  night temperatures, during the day the cool structure keeps interior spaces comfortable, while at night the building radiates the heat collected during the day. Other examples of passive design in ancient vernacular architecture can be found on every continent with the exception of Antarctica.

Other passive design techniques can be used to keep building comfortable without the use of energy. The sun is at a higher altitude in the summer than the winter, this allows for awnings and other overhangs to extend out far enough to block direct summer sunlight and heat from entering the building, but allow winter sunlight and heat to enter and warm the building. Other simple things such as small windows facing the common wind direction with large openings on the opposite side help pull and distribute the wind throughout the space. Studies of buildings which use natural ventilation have shown a dramatic reduction in employee sick days, as opposed to buildings relying on HVAC. South facing windows with louvers, overhangs, light shelves, and other techniques, as well as north facing windows allow indirect natural into the building, illuminating the space without any annoying glare.

Native plant life is the preferred vegetation for regenerative architecture. Native plants offer many advantages to foreign vegetation. Indigenous plants will survive in the climate without additional water, native species of birds, butterflies and other small creatures are more likely to return to the area and flourish in the native plants. Finally, foreign plants can also have unforeseen impacts that could damage the local ecosystem. Living roofs offer place for native plants, they reduce CO2 levels, and minimize the heat island effect created by large built areas. It is often assumed that living roofs offer a high level of installation, which will help reduce HVAC loads. This is often not the case thought. Most living roofs are built for grass and very small shrubs, with just a few inches of soil. This is not enough medium to offer a significant insulating value. Living roofs designed for larger plants consisting of a few feet of soil do offer significant insulation, but require extensive structure to hold the weight of the soil when wet.

Recently campuses such as Oberlin College in Oberlin OH, and the Omega Center in Rhinebeck NY, use natural reeds and gravel to filter all the grey and black water produce on the campuses. These reed beds not only reduce the water collection needs of a campus, but also offer attractive ponds for the campus. Once filter thought the gradually declining reed beds the water is clean enough to be reused throughout the campus. Only a simple UV filter is necessary to clean the water enough to be drinkable. This process of water filtration cleans the water without the use of any chemicals.

While passive design offers numerous benefits in today’s society buildings use energy. Regenerative architecture looks towards new technologies to provide the project with all needed energy. Photovoltaics have become the most popular technology for producing this energy, but many other options are available. Windmills with blades ranging from over a hundred feet to just a couple are available, and in the right climate can produce vast amounts of energy. Other options rely on river and tidal currents to power turbines in the water. Even newer technology uses a buoy that produces energy from the rise and drop of ocean levels near land. In addition there are large solar farms which use mirrors to reflect sunlight to a tower, using the energy for the sun to heat the water in the tower until it produces steam. Like steam engines on a train the steam is then used to turn a turbine and produce power. Unlike locomotive steam engines though, the energy comes from the sun and produces no pollutants. In addition to new techniques improving old technology can be very beneficial.

Solar panels are becoming much more efficient than in the past. Testing has occurred for a spray on solar energy collector. Although this technology is not as efficient as standard solar panels it offers a much wider range of applications. In Renzo Piano’s new building, the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, translucent solar panels where used on the roof. Theses panels embedded in glass, diffuse the direct sunlight, but allow enough light through to illuminate the space.

In conclusion regenerative design looks to move beyond the trend of sustainability and to produce buildings that actually improve the environment. I personally am a huge advocate for sustainability, but I believe it is the stepping stone to better things and that we cannot stop pushing towards regenerative design.

A neighbor's Tesla Roadster charging at Apple Blossom Elementary School's EV charging station

“Allowing members of the community to use the plug-in electric power stations is one way we can thank the community for coming through for us with Measure M funding,” said Les Crawford, district superintendent. Measure M was a county-wide ballot initiative that earmarked sales tax receipts for infrastructure improvements, making the districts massive solar installation possible. “It’s nice to know we’re contributing to a cleaner environment for all of us, not just our Twin Hills community.” Les Crawford continued.

Solar panels at Apple Blossom Elementary School

The recent solar panel installation provides 100% of the district’s energy, saving $85,000 in annual utility cost. In addition a renewable energy curriculum has been added to the districts science courses, bringing the sustainable movement into classroom.

Solar panels at Twin Hills Charter Middle School

Integrating the solar arrays into the covered walkways and carports marries design and functionality into everyday structures found on school campuses. We hope our sustainable and ecologically-sound designs inspire parents and students alike.