Architects bring world's biggest solar structure to Coney Island.The world's largest integrated solar panel roof is being built at the Coney Island Coney Island (kō`nē), beach resort, amusement center, and neighborhood of S Brooklyn borough of New York City, SE N.Y., on the Atlantic Ocean. subway subway: see rapid transit. subway Underground railway system used to transport passengers within urban and suburban areas. The first subway line, 3. station by the New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. Transit thanks in part to Kiss and Cathcart Architects, the company who designed the structure. The 76,000-square-foot roof that will hold 2,600 solar panels is part of a $283 million rehab project at the 84-year-old Stillwell Avenue Terminal. Kiss and Cathcart, an authority in solar technology in Brooklyn, has been in solar power design since 1984. "Photovoltaic cells A semiconductor diode that converts light into DC voltage. Also known as "solar cells," photovoltaic cells are used in a myriad of applications from simple light sensors to complete energy creation systems. See photovoltaic. have been integrated into roof structures before, but this is the largest of its type," said Tony Daniels, associate principle of Kiss and Cathcart. "It is the largest in the world." Kiss and Cathcart has designed solar structures for 20 projects nationwide, as well as an additional 100-kilowatt solar structure for the Transit Authority's new Corona Corona, city, United States Corona (kərō`nə), city (1990 pop. 76,095), Riverside co., S Calif.; inc. 1896. The city developed as a primary citrus fruit producer and shipping center. There is also light manufacturing. maintenance facility in Queens. The latest solar technology uses integrated photovoltaic cells, which is what the Transit Authority wanted for its new structure. "In this case the photovoltaic The generation of voltage by a material that is exposed to light in the visible and invisible ranges. See photoelectric and photovoltaic cell. panels are part of the glass," said Richard Miras, program manager for the Transit Authority's capital program oversight committee. "It is part of the roof." The benefit of this type of structure can be twofold, said Daniels. "It turns facades into greater assets to the building," he said. "The facade not only provides shelter from the outside, it also produces power." To be completed in spring of 2005, the solar system solar system, the sun and the surrounding planets, natural satellites, dwarf planets, asteroids, meteoroids, and comets that are bound by its gravity. The sun is by far the most massive part of the solar system, containing almost 99.9% of the system's total mass. will save the Transit Authority 12 to 15 percent on its electric bill and reduce about 17,000 tons of carbon dioxide carbon dioxide, chemical compound, CO2, a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that is about one and one-half times as dense as air under ordinary conditions of temperature and pressure. over a 40-year period. Solar panels produce the largest amount of power in the middle of the day when the demand for electricity is the greatest, Daniels said. "By reducing the draw at peak time, the demand goes way down," he said. "Demand charges can be drastically reduced." Beginning in May, the Stillwell Avenue Terminal will allow trains F, D, Q and W to stop there. Currently, only the W train stops there. Granite Halmar is the construction firm that is building the roof structure as well as virtually every element of the terminal, including all track and platform structures and numerous employee facilities. The Transit Authority has also installed a solar-powered cover at the Gun Hill Road bus depot in the Bronx and plans to build an additional solar structure at the 74th Street/Roosevelt Avenue station in Jackson Heights, where the E, F, R, V and G lines connect to the 7 train. |
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