SOLAR TODAY - January/February 2011

CLICK View a full documentation of the BIPV installation: solartoday.org/video
Saft chose building-integrated
photovoltaic panels from Whirl-
wind Solar. Photovoltaic laminate
panels (each 18 feet by 16 inches
and a quarter-inch thick) were
adhered directly onto the stand-
ing seam roof.
The thin-film laminates offered
several advantages over tradi-
tional PV modules, according to
Saft. The laminates’ lighter weight
meant no additional foundation
or framing costs were needed for
this system.

co Rey SaFt
Copyright © 2011 by the American Solar Energy Society Inc. All rights reserved.
The showpiece of the home’s interior is a double-height volume with an
overlooking loft. This room comprises living, dining, circulation and kitchen
functions.

tunity: As both architect and
developer, he could pretty much
design whatever he wanted. That
made it a golden opportunity to
test ideas — about interior space,
urban planning, energy efficien-
cy and passive, as well as active,
solar strategies. As a bonus, this
research project could be self-
funded through rental income.
Early on, Saft wondered if his
project could be a Passivhaus,
with its exacting energy standard
of reducing a building’s energy
consumption for heating by 90
percent and similarly limiting
cooling loads. To the best of his
knowledge, it had never been
achieved in his climate. The
strategy was custom-fit for cold
climates, but with a few modi-
fications, he thought it could
be equally beneficial in the hot,
humid South.
Saft contacted Katrin Klingen-
berg of Passive House Institute
US ( passivehouse.us) and asked
her to consult. Klingenberg was
excited about expanding the Pas-
sive House (as it is spelled in the
United States) strategy into the
southern United States, and a
partnership began. What would
result is not only the first certi-
fied Passive House in Louisiana,
but the first in the South; it was
achieved even before pioneering
efforts in California, Oregon or
Washington. The house achieved
LEED Platinum certification
as well. Due to the building’s
extremely low energy demand,
Saft was also able to generate
much of the energy it uses with a
3.3-kilowatt DC thin-film photo-
voltaic (PV) system on the roof.

designing open Space
into a tiny Footprint
Set in an established neighbor-
hood, the contemporary three-
bedroom, two-bath house was
designed to negotiate between
the residential community and
Saft Passive house
Project details
Photovoltaic System
Manufacturer: Whirlwind Solar,
Houston
Predesigned thin-film building-
integrated photovoltaic sys-
tem, size: 3. 3 k W
24 Uni-Solar PVL-136 solar lami-
nates
Laminating/bonding
the solar panels
High-performance metal
cable tray
Clamps for attaching the
cable tray
Cover over cable tray
Cable tray complete design and
mounting design
Standard system design
drawings and specifications
Positioning the PV laminate
panels in the proper location
Return on investment analysis
Master equipment schedules for
each predesigned system
PV laminates, cable tray and sys-
tem design subtotal: $15,825
Scope of Work by Electrician
Balance-of-system electrical equipment
Integrated DC disconnect
3-k W inverter, SMA Sunny Boy
SB 3000US
3-pole non-fused disconnect
(AC)
USE-2/RHW- 2 MC (quick
connects)
USE-2/RHW- 2 & THWN wire
8A fuses - DC rated (KLKD)
Conduit, compression
connectors
Grommets for cable tray
Lay-in lug, panel grounding
clips
Bare copper grounding wire
Materials subtotal: $2,950
On-site labor subtotal: $4,100
Total before incentives:
$22,875
Estimated federal tax credit:
$6,400
Estimated state tax credit:
$12,500
Total after incentives: $3,975