Illinois Institute of Technology College of Architecture to host conference on integrated solar panels for sustainable architectural design
Chicago, IL — March 2, 2001 —
The Illinois Institute of Technology will be sponsoring and hosting a conference on Light Power Membranes (LPMs) – walls of photovoltaic cells that can be incorporated into new architectural design solutions. The conference will be held on Friday, March 9 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at S.R. Crown Hall.
“The conference is evidence of a growing interest in the Chicago region to develop innovative approaches towards sustainable design,” says Donna Robertson, Dean of the College of Architecture at Illinois Institute of Technology. “The Mayor and other Chicago leaders are interested in transforming Chicago into a leader in environmentally conscious architecture and energy solutions.”
The conference reflects IIT’s growing interest in developing sustainable energy solutions which is central to IIT’s mission. The conference is being sponsored by IIT together with the University of Illinois Chicago, the Midwest Renewable Energy Association, the American Institute of Architects (Chicago chapter) Committee on the Environment as well as several Chicago area architecture firms and companies with an interest in solar energy.
The City of Chicago, well known for its innovative architecture, is very interested in using solar energy as it faces increases in air conditioning costs and anticipates increases in next summer’s energy demands. Exelon (the parent company of ComEd) is looking for options in dealing with the prospect of following California by declaring rolling blackouts due to radical increases in gas prices.
Solar energy is one possible answer to the city’s energy needs.
The conference will focus on LPMs, also known as “building integrated photovoltaics” that use energy from sun’s rays to produce and store electricity. They are different from conventional solar panels because they can be directly integrated into walls, windows or skylights. Buildings that use LPMs can use them to cover about half their total energy requirements. And, because LPMs can store energy, they can be used to support vital computer systems in the event of a blackout.
Leaders from government and industry including Com Ed, the City of Chicago, Illinois Institute of Technology, the University of Illinois, Siemens Solar Energy and Spire Solar Chicago will present existing building solutions that use LPMs in their designs. Several prominent Chicago architectural firms including Solomon, Cordwell, Buenz & Associates (keynote) will compare ideas for converting the light falling on a building into usable electric power.
The conference, entitled “Light Power Membranes: Integrative Photovoltaics for Sustainable Architectural Design,” will be held S.R. Crown Hall at 3360 South State Street, Room 10 on Friday, March 9 from 9 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. To register for the seminar contact Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) at mreainfo@wi-net.com, (715) 592-6595 or Event Coordinator, Bil Becker, bilbecker@bigplanet.com, (312) 996-2395.
Founded in 1890, IIT is a Ph.D.-granting technological university awarding degrees in the sciences, mathematics and engineering, as well as architecture, psychology, design, business and law. IIT’s interprofessional, technology-focused curriculum prepares the university’s 6,200 students for leadership roles in an increasingly complex and culturally diverse global workplace.
