by Shane Henson — October 3, 2012—SunPower Corp., a company focused on delivering the highest-efficiency solar cells and panels and the most advanced solar energy systems, recently finished work on a 1.3-megawatt high efficiency solar power system on the roof of the Exploratorium’s future home at Pier 15 on San Francisco’s Embarcadero waterfront. According to SunPower, the system is designed to ultimately generate 100 percent of the electricity demand at the hands-on museum’s new state-of-the-art facility, which is scheduled to open in spring 2013.
The system uses SunPower solar panels that are reportedly up to 50 percent more efficient than conventional panels. System performance, updated every 15 minutes, will be displayed in the lobby of the new facility, says SunPower. According to estimates provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the SunPower solar power system will avoid the emissions of 33,150 tons of carbon dioxide over the 30-year life of the system, which is equivalent to removing 5,910 cars from California’s highways.
“Only with SunPower’s high efficiency technology will the Exploratorium be able to generate all of its electricity demand from a rooftop system—no other solar panel on the market today can achieve the same results within the limited roof area,” said Tom Werner, SunPower president and CEO. “SunPower is proud to be one of the Exploratorium’s sustainability partners, enabling the museum to achieve significant long-term savings that will support its important work advancing scientific learning for all ages.”
To meet its net-zero energy goal, as well as to qualify as a LEED Gold facility under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, a number of additional features have been integrated into the design of the new Exploratorium facility, including an innovative heating and cooling system using filtered water from the San Francisco Bay, high-performance glass to limit heat gain, maximized use of natural light, and use of low-emitting materials and materials with recycled content.
