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GRB Convention Center Solar Pilot Project G W H Green Works Houston H ouston has a rich history of publicprivate partnerships from the Ship Channel to the Astrodome to Discovery Green. Such partnerships are central to how things work in this city, and the greening of the George R. Brown Convention Center roof is no exception. In the fall of 2008, Mayor White’s ofﬁce convened a group to talk about a big idea -- to cover the 16-acre roof of Houston’s downtown convention center with solar panels and a vegetative “green” roof. Solar panels would provide electricity, and the vegetative roof would mitigate storm water issues and provide a cooling layer of attractive greenery. Before this could come to pass, a pilot project was needed to seed the endeavor. Creative funding came from multiple sources: Houston Endowment, Inc, Architecture Center Houston Foundation, AIA Houston, and the City of Houston. British Petroleum stepped up to the plate with an in-kind donation of solar panels. The Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) was a large part of the project from the initial grant applications through administration of the solar installations. Working very closely with the Mayor’s ofﬁce and the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the pilot project was created. Completed in August 2009, this project utilizes two different solar technologies, each appropriate for their different applications. One-half of the installation, a 50-kw system of thin-ﬁlm solar panels was adhered directly to the roof. This technology is appropriate there because there are no roof penetrations, no issues with hurricane force winds, and they perform well with non-direct, angled light – perfect for a ﬂat roof. The other half of the installation consists of a 50-kw system of traditional silicon panels attached to the blue steel trusses that run along the back of the building. With this installation, the panels were easily attached to the steel and oriented directly with the sun, where they perform best. The installation of these two different systems will allow HARC, in a follow-up research project, to compare them, something that has not been done with these two technologies in our climate. HARC will be looking at the data over a 12-month period; the resulting information will be crucial to proceeding with a more extensive project including the roof vegetation. In 2008 the U.S. Department of Energy recognized Houston as a Solar America City, and Houston is currently one of the top 25 purchasers of green power in the nation. This project Illustrates Houston’s commitment to these initiatives and once again shows how public-private partnerships can work and work well. A centrally located kiosk informs visitors exactly how much electricity is being generated by the installation. The solar panels along the back of the building are visible to 50,000+ people a day traveling along the freeway. The panels on the roof are visible to countless people working, visiting, and living in high rise buildings downtown. The George R. Brown Convention Center Solar Project is tangible proof that Houston is clearly on its way to a very green future. – Brian Malarkey, AIA

Houston_Green_10.23.09

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