“Brown is Green!”—Sunlight Solar Energy to Install Solar Panels at Brown University

Nov. 17, 2011 - PRLog -- Brown University’s new Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center won’t just be a state-of-the-art swimming facility—it’ll also contain a state-of-the-art solar energy generator and water heater. The Waltham, Massachusetts office of Bend, Oregon–based Sunlight Solar Energy will be spearheading the installation of a dual solar system combining both photovoltaic and solar thermal technology on the Center’s rooftop. The thermal system will be used to keep the pool heated, while the photovoltaic solar panel array will provide electricity throughout the building.

The system consists of over 160 Sunpower 308 solar panels, which will be capable of generating generating 51.7 kilowatts of power; the underside of each panel will also house a SunDrum solar thermal collector, which as a whole will generate an additional 124.3 kilowatts.

Overall, the system will generate up to 176 kilowatts of power at any given time, which in real-world terms means the Brown community will avoid an estimated 140,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions yearly—the equivalent of 10,767 full-grown trees suddenly appearing in forests around the world!

The system is expected to be fully operational and providing the Center with electricity and hot water by mid-February.

About Sunlight Solar Energy
Sunlight Solar Energy, headquartered in Bend, Oregon, has previously worked to install solar systems for Yale University’s Divinity School, Boston’s Tip O’Neill Building, and the Shawme Heights II apartment complex on Cape Cod; in addition, it is responsible for over 400 residential installations throughout New England.