The Great Lakes Science Center, located in Cleveland, has announced plans to install a 300-foot solar array canopy at its entrance. The project, named SolarWorks, consists of 156 GE solar panels with a combined 31.2kW capacity.
The Great Lakes Science Center expects that the solar panels will provide an estimated 24 kW to 28kW of instantaneous output on a sunny day in the spring or fall and 36,000 kWh to 43,000 kWh during the course of a year. This energy is the equivalent of the average electricity needed for four Ohio homes, or up to eight energy-efficient homes.
The energy generated will be enough power to light all of the Great Lakes Science Center exhibition galleries – more than 65,000 square feet of exhibition space, the organization adds.
‘We want to raise awareness, engage curiosity and encourage discussion, just as we do with our indoor signature exhibits and programs,’ says Linda Abraham-Silver, president and executive director of the Great Lakes Science Center. To that end, an interior touch-screen kiosk will provide both real-time and historical data visualizations, including power generated over time, and the amount of carbon dioxide not generated for the power equivalent.
