by Shane Henson — July 26, 2013—Baltimore, Maryland, will soon be home to North America’s largest solar garden, Green Roof Technology recently announced. According to the company, it is working in partnership with BHC Architects to design the solar garden, which will rest atop Exelon’s soon-to-be-built headquarters, slated to be the tallest building in the city’s upcoming Harbor Point multiuse business park.
The Exelon headquarters rooftop will house the 40,000-square-feet green roof and an estimated 400 Sun-Root modules. As Green Roof Technology explains, its Sun-Root module is engineered to secure photovoltaic panels at a 30-degree angle. The module is held in place by a super-imposed load (i.e. the overlying green roof components) and does not require any penetration of the roof’s waterproof membrane. The module is made from deep-drawn recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) for increased tensile strength and stiffness. The base plate is engineered to promote evapo-transpiration through an enhanced water storage function and non-linear drainage channel system.
According to the company, the combined green roof and solar modules will generate approximately 120,000 kilowatt hours a year, reducing the environmental footprint of the building and its electric bill at the same time.
