Stillwell Avenue Terminal Train Shed

Photo credit: Adam Friedberg

Energy

The project's principal energy strategy is photovoltaic (PV) power generation. The system generates approximately 240,000 kWh of electricity per year, enough to meet the electricity needs of about 20 average single-family homes. In New York City, on-site electricity generation has special value, as transmission constraints force 80% of energy to be generated within city limits. The grid is stressed, and summertime peak loads are becoming increasingly difficult to meet.

This system is one of the largest thin-film building-Integrated PV (BIPV) systems in the world. It consists of 2,730 custom BIPV modules—each approximately five feet square, with the PV in the center and a clear glass strip around the edge. The PVs are connected in series strings of five modules each. The wiring is combined in special boxes under the roof, where monitoring sensors were installed, and the DC power is fed to two redundant inverters in the lower-level BIPV room.

The area of the entire roof is 80,000 ft2: the arched BIPV section makes up 76,000 ft2, and the fritted glass transition shed to the north adds 4,000 ft2. The active area of the PV modules is 41,000 ft2, and the rated output is 199 kW at peak. The actual peak output is approximately 160 kW.

Although the project is open-sided, good daylight in the center of the 360’ x 420’ platform area was not a given. Daylight analysis was conducted early in the design process. Design criteria called for enough daylight transmission that artificial light would be unnecessary on the platforms from sunrise to sunset 98% of the time. The analysis led to a design that provides an average of 12% transparency under the shed. The structure accounts for 36%, the glass for 14%, and the PVs for 50% of the total surface area. The glass is 95% transparent, and the PVs are 5% transparent.

Green Strategies

• Daylighting for Energy Efficiency
  • Design an open floor plan to allow exterior daylighting to penetrate the interior
• Photovoltaics
  • Use building-integrated photovoltaics (PV) to generate electricity on-site

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Our thanks to the ENERGY STAR program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and to the U.S. Department of Energy, and to BuildingGreen, Inc. for hosting the submission and judging forms.

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