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University of Calgary - The University of Calgary’s new Child Development Center was built to the Platinum standard of Leadership in Environmental Engineering and Design (LEED®). The Canadian Green Building Council LEED® certification distinguishes building projects that have demonstrated a commitment to sustainability based on various factors including high standards in energy efficiency and on-site power generation from renewable sources. In this case the on-site power generation is handled by a 43.4 kW photovoltaic (PV) system supplied by Conergy. This building integrated system is currently the largest solar PV installation in Western Canada.
On this building the solar panels serve a dual purpose; they are used as an energy generator as well as sun shades. By integrating the solar panels into the building’s structure the University of Calgary was able to save on material costs, improve building aesthetics and benefit from passive solar cooling.
 Anderson and Evergreen School Districts, Cottonwood, CA - Anderson School District began researching solar to reduce the energy costs for West Valley High School. They had found photovoltaics to be a proven technology that offered minimal maintenance for the life of the system. The ground-mounted 245 kW system is grid connected, supplying power to the local community when not used to power the school. As the system progresses in its production, the District is seeing an increasing savings to their energy costs. They have already been able to see a dramatic savings since the system inauguration in December of 2006. They are also proposing to increase their system size in future years, to accommodate the growth of the school.
 Evergreen School District has successfully started producing solar power with two of their schools completing renewable energy projects totaling 159 kW peak output. Evergreen Elementary School’s 128 kW peak system is projected to cover 90% of their electric needs. Evergreen Middle School’s 31 kilowatt peak installation is expected to meet 30% of their energy needs, with another 78 kilowatts scheduled to be added to the system. In conjunction with the analysis of the PV system, Conergy also evaluated the buildings’ energy efficiency and retrofitted both schools with new energy efficient lamps on all interior lights.
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