TVA granted the Landscape Architect Facility $300,000 to build a solar panel, also known as a Photovoltaic Array. “The Landscape Architecture Facility of MSU is one of the few facilities that has been given a grant by TVA in the South,” says Pete Melby, professor of landscape architecture. “The reason our facility was given a grant is due to the sustainable nature of the building.”
The Landscape Architecture Facility is somewhat energy efficient, but its outside energy use will decrease more with the use of the solar panels.
“The facility is actually made up of three different buildings that are all connected,” Melby said.
“The buildings are built to use very little energy and recycle water. The setup of the buildings allows heating and cooling by natural means,” Melby said. “The building contains natural day lighting, therefore no lights will be needed during the day other than that of the sun.”
“The heating and cooling system of the building is somewhat unique in its design. Liquid in pipes is actually pumped down into the ground, and when it goes down, it carries with it the heat of the building. It leaves the heat in the ground and becomes cool. Once the liquid is above ground level again, it releases the coolness it received from the ground and absorbs the heat of the building once again, Melby said.
“This system will cool the building in the summer and then warm it in the winter.”
“The ground has a natural cooling capacity, and stays a constant 58 degrees Fahrenheit six feet below ground level,” Melby said.
“The Department of Landscape Architect has made a pledge to the University that we will set our heating and cooling system of the building at no cooler than 78 degrees in the summer and no warmer than 68 degrees in the winter,” said Melby.
The panels have not yet been built, but will soon be in progress and will only take about two months to assemble.
“The panels will begin being built in December and will be finished by February of 2003,” said Melby.
The panels that the facility will be using are quite large, but they will be able to produce 150 kilowatt-hours per day.
“The panels will be placed on 10 foot poles above the ground and will be 12 feet wide and 90 feet long,” said Melby. “The panels will be tilted to face the low angle of the winter sun.”
“The energy that is produced by these solar panels is called Green Power, which is power produced without the assistance of fossil fuels,” added Melby.
Students, faculty, and residents will be able to see how much energy is being produced and used each day.
“A computer kiosk was given to the facility to allow anyone visiting the building a chance to see how much energy is being used and produced on a daily basis.
This computer will be available to anyone of interest at any time when the building is open,” Melby said.
The goal of the department of landscape architecture is to preserve natural resources such as fossil fuels.
“With the use of the solar panels, the building will use very little energy produced from fossil fuels. It is our goal to preserve natural resources,” Melby said.