Novan stated that the system was chosen because of its high efficiency and the short payback compared to other renewable options such as photovoltaic or geothermal.
The Novan system was part of a $5.7 million, 35,000sqft renovation project made possible by private charitable donations and grants. Efforts were made to make the new building as energy efficient as possible. Money for the solar system was provided by a grant from the Gates Foundation.
The system will produce almost 90MWh of energy annually and provides most of the building’s domestic hot water needs. Over 20 metric tons of carbon dioxide will reportedly be offset annually.
Jacob Futro, president and CEO of Novan, said: Novan greatly appreciates the Gates Foundation’s support of solar energy. It’s great to see such an influential organization support our vision for a new paradigm in energy and sustainability.
