MAY 14, 2014 | BY JC MILLER

 

A series of recent projects were made possible by grants from the State of California’s Renewable Energy Program. The primary goal of these projects was the installation of solar panels in public places, so the site work associated with each was function and minimal. Fortunately the project managers involved understood that adding such a large structure to a school yard or community space might dramatically change those spaces, so a bit of creative site design was added to the mix.

Working with Solar City we designed a seating module that could be used under the newly installed panels at the playgrounds of several West Sacramento elementary schools. Pre casting the curved concrete units in a central location for delivery to each site helped hold down costs. The curved benches include a recessed area that will be filled with tiles created by students.

The City of El Cerrito has a strong commitment to environmentally sustainable management at City owned facilities, so the addition of solar panels to the parking areas at the Community Center and Public Safety Building was a natural project. Along with the panels came necessary equipment. Working on a tight budget we designed screening enclosures. The painted wood structure at the Community Building compliments the architecture. The door panels will eventually include interpretive panels that explain the solar power generation process. The enclosure at the public safety building was constructed of prefabricated steel posts more typically used for sign posts. This move saved considerably on cost and the galvanized framework reflects the industrial materials nearby.