Open Energy Corp., a designer and manufacturer of solar energy products, has installed its building-integrated photovoltaic (PV) SolarSave roofing tiles at the Evelyn Pease Tyner Interpretive Center, a learning shelter and exhibition space for tour groups and field trips located in Glenview, Ill. – a suburb located north of downtown Chicago.
The 17.5 kW roofing system at the center is made up of 490 SolarSave tiles and takes up a third of the roof's total surface area – over 1,500 square feet. The system is designed to generate about 1,800 kWh/month and up to a total of 20,000 kWh/year.
‘The goal was to have the solar application provide all the power for the building, and Open Energy's SolarSave roofing tiles have the capability of doing so under the right conditions,’ says Rosario Milana of Life Quality Systems, one of the solar integrators that worked with the architect on this project.
According to David Saltman, Open Energy's president and chief executive officer, it was the easy installation and energy output of the company's roofing tiles that made it stand out among others considered for the project.