Seattle University Student Center

Seattle University's photovoltaic (PV) system installation in 2005 was a joint effort between seniors in the School of Science and Engineering and the facilities department. The students determined the best location for the solar panels, sized the system, designed the mounting system and electrical connections, and provided engineering support to facilities staff who installed the system.

The installation consists of a roof-mounted, south wall- and pole-mounted arrays. The solar modules mounted on the Student Center's roof are visible to students living in a residence hall and an apartment building. The solar panels mounted on the Student Center's south wall are visible to both car and foot traffic on East James and East Cherry Streets. The pole-mounted solar array on the Student Center's south side is visible to foot traffic on campus and street traffic.

Energy monitoring provided to the school by Solar 4R Schools has connected the live performance data from their PV system to the Energy Exploration Center at Solar4RSchools.org. Students and educators nationwide can chart, graph and analyze the system's performance data for educational purposes. Seattle City Light and the Northwest Solar Center provided technical support to both the student team and facilities staff who installed the solar components and the web-based monitoring system.