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Science House - Science Museum of Minnesota - 2009 
The Science Museum of Minnesota designed Science House to operate as a zero-emissions building — producing as much energy as it consumes over the course of a year. This is made possible by combining many energy efficiency and passive solar design features with solar electric technologies. The roof of Science House is clad with building-integrated photovoltaic (PV) solar panels that convert sunlight directly into electricity. A ground-source heat pump, powered by the solar electric system, cools the building in summer and heats it in winter. In winter, south-facing windows let in solar heat. A new feature this year is the addition on the east side of Science House of a PV tracking array that is testing a new 3M material. The PV panels along the top of the array are enhanced with a special mirror film that reflects additional sunlight onto the solar cells, increasing electricity production. The film also is selective about what wavelengths of sunlight are reflected. 97 percent of the sunlight that can make electricity is reflected by the mirrors. Much of the infrared radiation that does not make electricity, and even reduces the efficiency of PV panels but heating them up, passes through the film. System Components   
Additional Measures System Designer: Innovative Power Systems System Engineer: Innovative Power Systems System Installer: Innovative Power Systems |
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