U.S. Energy Department unveils winning design for solar wall

The solar wall that won the design competition is expected to supply enough power to run about 60 homes

October 24, 2000
Web posted at: 12:35 PM EDT (1635 GMT)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Four architects from Chicago, a city known for its Sears Tower and Hancock Building, have designed a different kind of structure that could one day be a new landmark in the U.S. capital.

Martin Wolf and three co-workers from architectural firm Solomon Cordwell Buenz & Associates concocted the world's largest sun wall to cover the barren south wall of Department of Energy headquarters in Washington.

The massive solar panel, designed for a contest sponsored by the DOE to generate interest in solar energy, is expected to supply enough power to run the equivalent of about 60 homes.

The wall provides "a way to get people excited" about solar energy, said Wolf, whose team bested 114 other applicants. "Now, solar is viewed as a non-dynamic, static and passive technology. If you do (the design) in a creative way, it becomes a little more dynamic."

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The winning design, spanning two-thirds of an acre (.27 hectares), was awarded a $20,000 prize by the DOE.

The wall, supported by cables underneath, will extend from the top of the DOE building's south wall to the ground, forming a huge isosceles triangle. The space beneath the solar drape, which is now a parking lot, will be equipped with a walkway and pools of water.

The wall first needs to be approved by the Commission of Fine Arts in Washington and the National Capital Planning Commission before detailed drawings can be created and the total sum needed for the project calculated.

The DOE, which says approval, design and cost estimates could be completed within 12 months, will seek funding for the project from Congress and, if necessary, the private sector.

While sales of solar systems have been booming, proponents say the massive DOE exhibit -- along with recent energy shortages and rising prices -- could further boost sales.

The winning team estimates the sun wall could slash the DOE's energy costs by $30,000 to $50,000 per year.

"Solar energy systems integrated into or unto buildings is the fastest-growing segment of the solar energy market," Energy Secretary Bill Richardson said, adding that cleaner alternative fuels will become commonplace as energy consumption grows.

"Solar energy is back with a bang," he said.

The Solar Energy Industries Association says sales of solar technologies will grow domestically about 35 percent or more in each of the next five years, with yearly sales topping $9 billion by 2005.

"With more (power) outages occurring more frequently and of longer duration, combined with price swings for natural gas, electricity and home heating oil, there is more consumer interest looking at solar as an option," said Scott Sklar, executive director of the Solar Energy Industries Association.

Sklar said businesses and consumers installing solar energy to heat water, the major use of the technology, could slash their monthly bills by 80 percent. He said the average consumer could save between $30 and $40 a month for hot water.

The wall is part of a broader DOE plan to boost energy efficiency in new buildings and household appliances ranging from central air conditioners to clothes washers.

The DOE joined with the building industry this month to unveil a long-term proposal designed to slash energy consumption in new office buildings by as much as 50 percent in the next 20 years.

Under the plan, new structures would replace traditional heating and cooling equipment with alternative sources such as fuel cells that are more cost efficient and require less maintenance.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Department of Energy
Solomon Cordwell Buenz & Associates Inc.
Commission of Fine Arts
National Capital Planning Commission
Solar Energy Industries Association

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