See all forum discussions about Green Commons

Subscribe to new posts about Green Commons Post a new question aboutGreen Commons

Forum discussion

The Wild West of Solar

John Mlade

LFA, RESET ASP, WELL Faculty, LEED Fellow

Wight & Company

LEEDuser Expert

6 thumbs up

September 22, 2021

Hello friends,

We are looking for recommendations for solar photovoltaic consultants to support one of our projects. We have used SEI in the past, but would like to develop a deeper bench and approach it from another angle. We aren’t too concerned about the consultant’s location, but are looking for someone that is on top of the current trends/news to navigate the rapidly changing landscape of the solar industry, and is also an outside the box thinker. This is for a fairly complex project with the potential for multiple installations on a variety of auxiliary structures. We’d like to simplify the design through innovative thinking.

Have any consultants that you have used and would recommend?

Thanks!

John M

Post a reply

Kristen Fritsch

Sustainability Coordinator

Elkus Manfredi Architects

LEEDuser Premium Member

4 thumbs up

Thu, 09/23/2021 - 13:07

Solar Design Associates, Steven Strong and his team. Still at the top of the game, at least that has been my recent experience. - Solar Design Associates Kristen Fritsch AIA LEED AP BD+C WELL AP Sustainability Coordinator ELKUS MANFREDI ARCHITECTS [tel] 617.695.7954 [email] kfritsch@elkus-manfredi.com WFH# 206-356-5296

Ariane Laxo

Sustainability Director

HGA

LEEDuser Premium Member

3 thumbs up

Thu, 09/23/2021 - 13:25

We have a great solar team at HGA - they work with outside architects too (and we love the integration when they work on our projects). Svein Morner leads the building performance and renewable energy team. You could reach out to him at SMorner@hga.com

Jacob Knowles

Director of Sustainable Design

BR+A

LEEDuser Basic Member

0 thumbs up

Thu, 09/23/2021 - 14:22

I agree with Kristen, Solar Design Associates is a good option: scoffrin@solardesign.com Stephen Coffrin is our contact there.

Ramana Koti

Sustainable Design Leader

HKS, Inc.

LEEDuser Basic Member

11 thumbs up

Thu, 09/23/2021 - 20:07

Sol Haroon worked on the Kendeda Building's PV system at Georgia Tech. His current contact details are below. He also provided a link to the course he teaches at Georgia Tech. Sol Haroon, NABCEP Certified PV Professional, MS | Technical Director - Renewables Consulting Instructor, Georgia Institute of Technology M 678.608.7854 4536 Nelson Brogdon Boulevard, Building E, Suite 2, Sugar Hill, GA 30518 SolHaroon@mckimcreed.com | www.mckimcreed.com https://arch.gatech.edu/pv305-advanced-photovoltaic-system-and-microgrid-design Ramana.

Gabrielle Aitcheson

Director of Sustainability

ICON architecture, inc.

LEEDuser Basic Member

0 thumbs up

Mon, 09/27/2021 - 12:11

Using this thread for a tangential question about PV - any advice on vertical/wall applications? Have a client that is interested and unsure about vendors, performance, detailing, etc.

Brian Turner

CMTA

LEEDuser Basic Member

0 thumbs up

Mon, 09/27/2021 - 13:03

I would avoid Onyx solar glazing. My experience was that it is incredibly expensive and low efficiency. If you are interested in a product that can similarly function as window glazing then check out the Lumos GSX. It is still expensive compared to normal modules but far more affordable and efficient than Onyx. I help lead CMTA's solar design group and am happy to help if anyone has questions.