Sustainable Design: Rieth Village

• Purpose of Rieth Village
• Platinum LEED Award
• Our Design Process
• Construction
• Site
• Building Envelope
• Water Systems
• Wastewater
• Heating and Cooling
• Energy Harnessing
• Building Performance
• Helpful Resources

Energy Main   |  Photovoltaic  |   Wind Generator   | Solar Water Heating

Photovoltaic Panels

Solar cells, or photovoltaics, convert light energy from the sun into electrical energy. They produce no waste and are silent and long-lived. Because photovoltaics are placed near the site where the energy is used, solar power also requires less wiring. An array of photovoltaics, mounted on the collegiate facility’s south-facing roof, will power at least 20% of the buildings’ electrical needs. On a sunny day, the collegiate facility may be supplying power to the local electric company; in cloudy winter weather, it will need to draw on the electric company.

Tom DeBates (left) of Habi-Tek, a photovoltaic installation firm from Geneva, IL, and Ken Hulet with Engineering Services Company of Blanchardville, WI prepare to install one of the 24 photovoltaic modules that forms a 4.8 kw array on the south roof of Oshtemo Cottage in Rieth Village. The two firms designed and installed the system.  Each panel, manufactured by Sanyo, can generate 200 watts of power at 56 volts DC.
The pitch of the south facing roof was designed for maximum solar gain at 41 degrees 18 minutes, the latitude of Merry Lea.
The modules were connected in groups of six to create four series strings that feed through a combiner to the inverter.
An inverter in the basement converts the direct current to alternating current that can power the building or be sold to the electrical grid.  Sunshine in Indiana can be readily converted to usable electrical energy.