Northfield, Minn.––In partnership with Xcel Energy, Bob and Suzannah Ciernia of Northfield have donated a photo-voltaic renewable energy system to Carleton College. The system, which combines solar innovation with a traditional roofing shingle design, serves as both a source of electricity as well as protection from the elements.
Valued at $30,000, the photo-voltaic shingle system was originally installed on the roof of the couple's home in 1999 when the house was built. “We were very interested in renewable energy and had read about a new photo-voltaic system that incorporated solar cells into your home's shingles,” explains Suzannah. The Ciernias contacted the local power company Xcel Energy (then Northern States Power) with a proposal to offer their house as a field test site for the new technology.
“The original idea was to be a demonstration house that the power company could point to and promote alternative energy and help drive public awareness,” adds Bob. Along with offering their home as a tour site, the couple hoped the project would lead to more publicity by the utility company highlighting renewable energy. At that time, the technology was still very new, with only two places in the country where these types of shingles were installed. The photo-voltaic solar system provided enough energy to run the Ciernia’s household appliances and lights, using electricity generated from their roof shingles.
When their contract with Xcel Energy was due to expire, the Ciernias were given three choices: continue to lease the system; buy it from Xcel; or have it removed and replaced with regular roofing shingles.
“We thought long and hard and decided to make a special request,” Suzannah says. “Since our original idea was to have the solar shingles help educate people about renewable energy, we asked Xcel if it would consider donating the system to a school.” Carleton College, actively exploring the idea of using environmentally-friendly building techniques on campus for quite some time, displayed great interest in the Ciernia’s request.
Xcel Energy agreed to donate the system to Carleton College, where it can be used on a campus building. Due to increasing demand for these particular “solar shingles,” Xcel Energy has since learned that their gift is even more valuable than they initially realized. “Because of heavy European demand, there's a one- to two-year waiting list in this country for the type of system used on the Ciernia's home,” explains Ralph Jacobsen of Innovative Power Systems, the company that did the original installation.
“Accepting this photo-voltaic shingle system will provide Carleton the opportunity to use an additional renewable energy source at the College, an important element in demonstrating and supporting our commitment to become more climate neutral as part of signing the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment,” said Steven Spehn, director of facilities at Carleton. “We are very grateful to Bob and Suzannah for thinking of Carleton College in this way and making this donation.”
Carleton College will store the renewable energy gift while it evaluates which campus building will best hold the photo-voltaic system. Once installed, it will nicely complement the College’s wind turbine and stand as a bright reminder of Carleton’s commitment to renewable and alternate sources of energy to power its campus.