Solar walls are being installed on several buildings at Tooele Army Depot.
Buildings that use fossil fuels such as gas and propane, particularly buildings with shipping and receiving operations, can be expensive to heat during the winter months. To heat the 11 buildings participating in the project using fossil fuels cost the depot more than $153,000 in fiscal 2008, said Jay Weyland, TEAD's Energy Manager. "(The project) reduces our dependence upon fuel, oil, natural gas, propane and electricity," he said.
Not to be confused with solar cells, which absorb high ultraviolet rays from the sun and turn them directly into electricity, solar wall air heating systems are perforated metal sheets that heat up when exposed to sunlight (passive solar heating). A thermostat within the solar walls is connected to a fan that is programmed to come on at 65 degrees, draw air through the perforations in the metal, and send the heated air into the buildings.
The Energy Conservation Investment Program funded the $800,000 project. The project was award to ECORP, a general contractor from Ogden, Utah, by the Sacramento District Corps of Engineers. ECIP funds also made possible TEAD's wind turbine project.
Installation of solar walls has been completed at six buildings on the depot, buildings 507, 509, 510, 519, 594 and 1236. Solar walls will also be installed on buildings 1261, 1265, 1335, 1376 and 1403.
Weyland, who submitted the project to ECIP, expects the depot's energy bill to save approximately $100,000 per year once the project is complete.
Solar wall panels range in color from tan to black with black walls providing the highest heat gain, Weyland said. TEAD's project uses dark brown panels which provide about the same amount of heat gain as black panels. The sizes of the solar walls vary depending upon the area that is going to be heated and all panels are created to fit building specifications.
"TEAD is one of the most active depots in finding and installing energy saving technology," said Bob Anderson, chief of staff. " We have replaced old boilers, updated building control systems, and acquired new systems such as the wind turbine and solar walls to reduce our energy bill and make us more self sufficient."
TEAD is only one of many installations across the Army that has turned to ECIP to help fund renewable energy projects. In 2009, ECIP funded $32 million worth of energy related stimulus projects.
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