PV Aesthetics [RE-wrenches]

Tue Jun 13 15:04:19 EDT 2000

Chris and All,

Sorry, I don't mean to "tweak" anyone (I do enough of that on my jobs!) and
I think that Chris took my comments the wrong way.  One problem with email
still remains an inability to express the tone of the messages
satisfactorily.

If those still interested in this discussion might indulge me (and others
should delete now!);

PV IS beautiful.

Performance IS paramount.

Good design and installation IS important and noticeable.

BIPV (means different things to different people) is to me the integration
of PV into the building, whatever the mechanical details and however the
designer chooses.  This, I believe, is important to get clients, builders,
and architects thinking of other things such as building orientation and
passive solar.

By stating that "PV shouldn't look like an afterthought on a building", I
was making a comment on how we in the installation end of the industry, tend
to get brought into the building process late in the game.  I feel that by
integrating PV into the structures (not by compromising the performance of
the PV but by improving the design of the building) we will see more and
more homeowners and businesses accepting it into their daily lives.

My analogy to vinyl shutters was intended to point out how fickle some
people's sense of aesthetics can be.  Architecture has always integrated
function into form, in fact, that might be what architecture is!?  PV IS
different from such things as shingles and awnings, but I feel that besides
those of us in the know, its beauty lies more in its function than its form.

I look forward to viewing your array Chris, I'm sure its pretty!
----

Jason Fisher
Aurora Energy
86 Conduit St.
Annapolis, MD 21401
USA

Voice/ Fax: 410-268-3088
email: aurora at toad.net

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Chris LaForge, Great Northern Solar
> [mailto:gosolar at win.bright.net]
> Sent: Monday, June 12, 2000 3:02 PM
> To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
> Subject: RE: PV Aesthetics [RE-wrenches]
>
>
> Dear Wrenches:
>
> Jason's comments here tweaked me a bit.
>
> >Two thoughts though.  First BIPV is the future, I believe, to
> main stream PV
> >use.  I don't think PV should look like an afterthought on a building.
> >Second, as things become more common in people's everyday lives, their
> >aesthetics change accordingly.  Why the heck do people screw
> vinyl shutters
> >to their homes?  They're not thinking about how absurd it would look to
> >someone from the 1700s, they just know that their eye is used to seeing
> >shutters, therefore they want them.
> >
> >----
> >
> >Jason Fisher
> >Aurora Energy
> >86 Conduit St.
> >Annapolis, MD 21401
> >USA
> >
>
> I believe that all forms of PV are BI.  We integrate the PV no
> matter what.
> Some just happens to be doing more than one job in it's applicatoion (IE>
> roofing as well as PV).
>
> A well designed PV array does not look like an after thought.
> Just look at
> the 5Kw array at the MREF expo. site at the Madison fair.  It
> looks like it
> belongs.  As the designer I was able to mount the PV at the local
> lattitude
> rather than the 4/12 (18 degree) roof pitch for greater year round output.
> I can use long lived crystaline modules of my choice.  I get a system that
> serves the client better than roofing in this case.
>
> While PV that serves more than just the PV task is good for the future
> costs of the PV industry, we need to make sure that clients understand all
> the parameters and options to give them the best choice.
>
> Energetically, Chris
>
> Great Northern Solar
> 77450 Evergreen Road, Suite #1
> Port Wing, WI 54865
> 715-774-3374
>
>
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