CertainTeed Teams Up with Penn State University to Drive Training in Contemporary Solar Roofing Technologies
(Valley Forge, Pa.) – CertainTeed Corporation has partnered with Penn State University in the construction of a solar power training facility. The project is the second phase of the groundbreaking, new smart energy campus GridSTAR Center at The Navy Yard in Philadelphia. Functionally designed with input from CertainTeed, the building will showcase the manufacturer’s line of innovative solar roofing products and provide an outlet for training students and building professionals in contemporary solar roofing system installation.
“This facility will provide real-life solar installation training on a variety of solar products including our Apollo II and Solstice systems,” says Mark Stancroff, director of CertainTeed Solar. “And, since it’s located right in our back yard, it offers us an opportunity to display our photovoltaic roofing products to potential customers while helping increase the awareness and acceptance of solar energy in the residential building field. We are delighted to be a part of this project.”
The steep-slope portion of the facility’s roof will feature a 2-kilowatt Apollo II™ solar roofing system integrated among Landmark Solaris™ Gold premium designer shingles in Max Def Weathered Wood and a 2-kilowatt Solstice® rack-mounted solar roofing system. The GridSTAR Center also features a net zero energy demonstration home with Landmark Solaris shingles and a host of other exterior and interior CertainTeed building products.
Solar Grid Storage, a developer of solar energy storage technology for backup power also partnering with Penn State on the project applauds the forward-thinking contributions of materials and technical expertise from CertainTeed and other manufacturer partners.
“This project really is a great partnership between industry, new technology and academia,” says Don Bradley, senior vice president of business development at Solar Grid Storage. “It’s through these efforts that contemporary technologies deployed at the GridSTAR Center will eventually become mainstream.”
Expected to be completed by the end of this summer, the GridSTAR Center will serve as a valuable hub for workforce training, building performance testing, energy management research and “smart” microgrid modernization deployments. For more information, visit www.gridstarcenter.org.
The Apollo II system features high-performance 54-watt monocrystalline photovoltaic panels designed to integrate discreetly into standard shingled roofs, unlike rack-mounted solar roofing systems. The panels are lightweight, durable, resistant to wind uplift, and can easily be integrated into either an existing roof or installed as part of a new roof. Apollo II’s low-profile design does not require structural reinforcement or evaluation, and the sleek black frame, cells and backsheet visually blend with surrounding shingles. The system also features an open space under the modules to allow for easier electrical wiring. Features such as water channels and raised fastener locations further improve roof deck integrity.
Solstice is a rack-mounted solar roofing system featuring highly efficient, monocrystalline photovoltaic panels. The system’s modules are attractive, durable, and can easily be installed onto either a low-slope or steep-slope roof. Solstice is also backed by CertainTeed’s electricity output and installation workmanship warranty – one of the most comprehensive in the industry. The system showcases an aesthetically pleasing style with black cells laminated to a black back sheet and a black mounting frame and is available in AC and DC versions.
All CertainTeed solar roofing systems are eligible for state rebates and incentives listed at www.dsireusa.org. Additional incentives may also be available through local utility providers. For more information, visit www.certainteedsolar.com.
About CertainTeed
Through the responsible development of innovative and sustainable building products, CertainTeed, headquartered in Valley Forge, Pa., has helped shape the building products industry for more than 100 years. Founded in 1904 as General Roofing Manufacturing Company, the firm's slogan "Quality Made Certain, Satisfaction Guaranteed," quickly inspired the name CertainTeed. Today, CertainTeed® is North America’s leading brand of exterior and interior building products, including roofing, siding, fence, decking, railing, trim, insulation, gypsum and ceilings.
A subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, the world’s largest building products company, CertainTeed and its affiliates have more than 5,700 employees and more than 60 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada. For five consecutive years, the company has received top honors from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its contributions in protecting the environment and was most recently the recipient of the 2013 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award. The group had total sales of approximately $3.3 billion in 2012. www.certainteed.com
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