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WisconSUN Case Study:
Environmental Living and Learning Center Northland College
Owner: Northland
College
Location: Ashland, WI
Size: 3.6 kW photovoltaic (PV) system, 215 ft2 active
solar hot water system, 20 kW wind turbine
Installed: 1998
Designed and installed by: Great
Northern Solar and SOLutions
Hailed as "one of the most environmentally advanced residential halls in the world," Northland College's Environmental Living and Learning Center (ELLC) includes green building materials and technologies as well as renewable energy systems.
The 40,000 ft2 center is home to apartments for 114 students, classrooms and a greenhouse. Student involvement with the ELLC started early when they joined the architects in selecting the most environmentally friendly designs and building components.
Through a Northland College course entitled "Sustainable living on a college campus," today's students evaluate the impact of the ELLC's design, technology and selected materials. For example, they monitor the three types of PV rack-tracking systems in use to compare their performance in energy production. One system tracks the sun's daily path using two-axis tracking, the second uses a single axis tracker, and the third is fixed. In the first year of operation, the PV system met 2.3% of the building's power needs.
The solar hot water system uses fourteen flat-plate collectors filled with a glycol solution. A PV-powered pump circulates the hot fluid through a double-walled heat exchanger located in a water pre-heat tank. Finally, the solar preheated water flows into the high efficiency natural gas hot water heater. The system has reduced water heating energy use by 29%.
Lastly, the passive solar design of one wing of the center further reduces the energy required to heat the building during northern Wisconsin's bright winter days.
Photo credits
Steven Carlson, CDH Energy Corp.
copyright © 2000 WisconSUN
