Worcester Art Museum:
Green Technology Evaluation
Travis Collins ECE
Christopher Gowell ME
Aaron Hall-Stinson ME
Advisors:
Professor William Baller
Professor Stephen Bitar
Global Impact
• Loss of Natural
Resources
• Reliance on Oil
• Commercial Office
Buildings Consume 18%
of National Energy
Worcester Art Museum
Higgins Education Wing
• Built in 1970
• Office space, studios,
classrooms, and storage
• Facilities Master Plan
includes options to
construct a third floor
over the existing wing
Objectives
1. Perform an energy audit and estimate future
office energy usage
2. Determine which green technologies will be
most beneficial to the museum
3. Examine funding sources
4. Provide detailed recommendations
Energy Audit
• Gathered energy bills for
past 3 years
• Office by office
walkthrough
• Evaluated electrical usage
of each device with Fluke
Meter
• Evaluate Usage based on
device operating hours
and operational modes
Power Evaluation
• Found heating and
cooling to be biggest
consumer
• Followed by lighting
Power Usage Breakdown
– Due to large amounts of
incandescent bulbs
• Found museum
employees to be
conscious of energy
• Lighting system
reevaluation needed due
to specific artistic needs
Lighting
Devices
Heating/Cooling (Estimate)
WAM Energy Usage (FY09)
40,000
30,000
kWh
20,000
10,000
0
Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug
380,000 kWh used annually in the Higgins Wing
Going Green
Possible Options
• Photovoltaic Array
(Electric Solar Panels)
• Green Roof (Vegetative
Roof)
• Wind Turbine
Ruled Out
• Wind
– Required Footprint
– Zoning
• Green Roof
– The Good
• Triple Life of Existing Roof
• Increase Drainage Efficiency
– The Bad
• Substantial Roof Weight
Requirements
• Very Long Payback Period
– Minor Thermal Insulation
Gains
– Limited Funding Solutions
Comparatively
Photovoltaic Overview
Selection Criteria
1. Direct Energy
Production
2. Funding Solutions
3. Best Payback Period
4. Best Applicable
Advantages
Worcester State
• 540 195 watt panels on
ballasted docking station
• Produces 140,000kWh
annually
• 33,000 sq. ft of roof space
• Evergreen ES-195 series
panels
• Cost $825,000
• Funded $570,00 by MTC
• $255,000 from CREB (clean
renewable energy bonds)
Mass MoCA Solar
• 51.6 kW electric PV
array
• ~48,000 kWh generated
annually
• Evergreen Solar
(Massachusetts based)
and SCHOTT Solar
panels
Mass MoCA Funding
• Project Cost: $ 709,500
– Solar Array:
$ 391,560
– Educational Exhibits:
$ 128,500
– Other Upgrades:
$ 189,440
Museum Projection
Option 1
• Installation of a ballasted
photovoltaic system
• 340 Panels Installed
• 57kW Power Output
• $427,000 Initial Install
• 71,000kWh Produced Annually
– Power 8 2-story homes or take
14 cars off the road annually
– Save 44 tons of CO2
•
$11,000 Annual Savings
– (2 Free Months)
Future Possibilities
Option 2
• 520 Total Panels Installed
• 87kW Total Output
• Total Cost $ 650,000
(additional $ 223,000)
• 109,000kWh Produced
Annually
• Power 11 homes or
take 23 cars off the road
• Save 70 tons of CO2
• $16,000 Annual Savings
Conceptual Expansion
Conceptual Expansion
Projected Gains
• Current Structure
450000
– 20% Electrical energy
supplied
400000
350000
300000
• After Addition
– 25% Electrical energy
supplied of projected
usage
kWh
Annually
250000
Energy Consumed
200000
Energy Produced
150000
100000
50000
0
Before
Addition
After
Addition
Commonwealth Solar
Rebates
$3.00
$2.50
Rebate per
Watt
$2.00
$1.50
10
25
50
75 100 125 150 175 200
PV Array Size (kW)
Economic Impact
• Locally manufactured
components
• Evergreen Solar and
Solectria Renewables
• Local jobs
Recommendations
• Apply to MTC for Green
Building Initiatives
Program
• Install outlined PV array on
Higgins roof
• With extra MTC grant
money execute a lighting
survey and update as
recommended
Special Thanks to:
Fran Pedone, WAM
Honee Hess, WAM
Alfredo DiMauro, WPI Facilities
Michael Balch, Garland Co.
Robert Daniels, WSC Facilities
Sandy Olson, WSC Facilities
Apex Roofing Co.
Nexamp Co.
Prof. William Baller, WPI
Prof. Stephen Bitar, WPI
Prof. Dominic Golding, WPI
Prof. Robert Krueger, WPI
Questions?