About the Engineering Building Solar Power Installation
The College of Engineering & Science at the University of Detroit Mercy has recently completed installation of a 10-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system on the roof of the Engineering Building. The system was partially funded by a $53,000 grant issued by the State of Michigan Energy Office, with funds coming from the U.S. Department of Energy. The project has two objectives: first, to demonstrate that photovoltaic solar energy generation can be seamlessly incorporated into existing architecture; and second to inform and educate a wide-ranging target audience about the technology and issues surrounding photovoltaic systems. Principal investigators for the project are Arthur Haman, Robert Ross, and Mark Schumack in the College of Engineering & Science, and Will Wittig from the School of Architecture.
Renewable energy sources are becoming increasingly important as oil and natural gas prices continue to rise. The photovoltaic system, which is designed and manufactured by United Solar Ovonic in Auburn Hills, MI, converts sunlight to electricity, producing power on both sunny and cloudy days. Electricity from the solar cells will feed directly into the Engineering Building's electrical system, offsetting its commercial electrical consumption by about 10,000 kilowatt-hours per year. This amounts to about 40% of the building's lighting needs.
"This is one of several important alternative energy research and education projects at the University of Detroit Mercy that promise to contribute to our nation's energy independence, our region's economic strength and our world's environmental wellbeing. Other current projects focus on such areas as membrane stability in fuel cells and ethanol production from cellulose-based materials." — Dr. Leo E. Hanifin, Dean — College of Engineering and Science.
Students and faculty installed the solar arrays on the roof of the
Engineering Building in fall 2005, and the wiring and instrumentation
was completed in spring and summer 2006. A public display explaining
solar photovoltaic principles and showing real-time electrical power
production from the arrays is located in the building lobby. An opening
ceremony for the system will be held on Friday, October 20. For more
information contact Professor Mark Schumack at schumamr@udmercy.edu
or (313) 993-3370.
Acknowledgements
Sponsors: the State of Michigan Energy Office and United Solar Ovonic
Funding: the United States Department of Energy and the University of Detroit Mercy College of Engineering & Science
Faculty Coordinators: Arthur Haman, Robert Ross, Mark Schumack (College of Engineering and Science), and Will Witting (School of Architecture)
Student Team Leaders: Dave Chew, Krysten Dzwigalski, James Hadley, Chris Keimig, Meghann Mouyianis, Tim Rourke