Willows Center all charged up about solar

By Nancy Angellotti
Posted Thursday, June 26, 2008

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By Nancy Angellotti
VIEW Writer
LAPEER — On a bright June morning, the new Willows Earth Education Center at Chatfield School sits silently soaking in the rays of the sun. Peter McCreedy, Ecology Director, standing outside under the shade of his straw hat, knows there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye.

The sun’s rays fall on the numerous and varied solar panels splayed across the south face and roof of the 5,000-square-foot building. On the roof, two different types of solar arrays can be seen. Solar electric, or photovoltaic (PV), panels span the west end of the roof. Flat plate collector panels are arrayed over the other end of the roof and tie into a water-based radiant heating system. Across the lower part of the structure, with the appearance of windows, is a “mass wall,” a 10-inch deep totally passive wall that captures the sun’s rays and stores the energy as heat.

Walking inside the bright and airy building, the sun illuminates the main hall through solar tunnels — no need to flip a light switch, thank you. Plants sit in the center’s greenhouse, waiting to go to the garden. The living roof on the north side of the building will be planted very soon. Everywhere you look in Willows, the sun is playing a part.

“Our intention is to provide a community nature center, and a model for experimenting with some of these renewable alternatives,” McCreedy says. “It’s an experiment we can learn from.” The experiment already is producing some very positive results.

McCreedy is very pleased to discover that the solar electric panels are generating more electricity than the center is using. The center can sell the electricity back to Edison, or it can hook it into the school. “It’s like having our own little power plant,” McCreedy says happily. The PV panels were made right here in Michigan by UNI-SOLAR.

Inside Willows, McCreedy opens up the electrical center. The PV panels on the roof are connected inside to a data collector and inverter. The inverter changes the direct current to alternating current. A digital readout on the data collector shows that the panels have already generated 4.4 kilowatt hours on this beautiful morning. Since the system has been in operation, 1,858 kilowatt hours have been generated.

McCreedy’s plan is to have all the data captured and tracked, and to make it available on the school’s website. He feels that is the best way to learn about the practical application and viability of this type of energy use in an environment like Michigan. Tracking the data will make it possible to truly evaluate the costs, too.

The unique building was designed by Ann Arbor architect Wayne Appleyard, who specializes in passive solar and ecological design. The solar panels were implemented by solar contractor John Wakeman, also of Ann Arbor. The $1.2 million structure not only incorporates innovative energy applications, it does so in a commercial, school setting and is completely up to code.

The new center was occupied in late April, although finishing touches remain. The grand opening will be at the end of July, when the gardens and ecology camp classes will be in full swing.

Interestingly, much of what is new and leading-edge about this building is actually age-old thinking with a 21st century twist. McCreedy notes that using the sun for heat and light, catching rainwater, constructing buildings from natural materials, and even using windmills are all things that have been used by man for centuries.

It is McCreedy’s hope that Willows will help people to learn first-hand about environmentally responsible options in a changing world. “Necessity breeds intelligence,” McCreedy quips, referring to our oil-dependent society as it adjusts to greener approaches.