Address: Bluffsview Elementary School
7111 Linworth Rd.
Columbus, Ohio 43235
Location:
40N latitude, 83W longitude, ground-mounted, west side of school
Footprint:
21 feet by 12 feet
Array orientation (tilt): true south which is 3 degrees west of magnetic
south here
Array orientation (tilt): 40 degrees
Solar panels:
30, each 21 by 47 inches, 75 watt peak output from 28 silica crystal cells/panel
Solar project electricity generation:
2 kW (2,000 watts) peak
Connections to school: through a Trace inverter converting DC to AC, 45-foot
underground cable run to school directly connected to inside power panels (no storage
batteries in the system)
Telephone/Fax numbers:
614-431-6210 - Phone
614-431-4894 - Fax
Contacts:
bluffm.tchz22@worthington.k12.oh.us
(Fran Middaugh, Bluffsview ES project contact)
ctimm1570@aol.com
(Chris Timm's company built the Bluffsview solar energy project)
mark-l-construction@worldnet.att.net
(Mark Laivins' company helped design the Bluffsview project)
solarusa@bp.com
(BP supplied the solar panels and helped design the Bluffsview project)
School total floor area:
59,461 square feet
School floor levels: one
Building the solar energy project was like putting a bike together. Workers had
to drill holes in the parts, line them up and join them together. Using teamwork,
workers erected the project in four days.
Chris Timm from Energy Management Corp. and other inspectors look over the silica
crystal cells in a solar panel before it goes up on the project.
Everyone worked together to put the 30 panels on the steelworks and wire them together.
The panels are tilted to 40 degrees to capture the most sunlight possible.
Bluffsview staff and students make graphs showing electricity generated by the school's
solar project.
Check Out a Video!
To see a video that shows you some Bluffsview project highlights and comments from
people that participated, click on the link below and the video will be played.
Internet Weather Map Sites
http://www.intellicast.com/
(Columbus is largest nearby city; view satellite, radar maps; view SUNCASTgraphic
for amounts of sunshine in SKICAST)
http://www.weather.com (lists
local sunrise and sunset times)
Other Supporters and Contributors:
Government:
U.S. Dept. of Energy-Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Ohio Dept. of Development-Office of Energy Efficiency
Ohio Air Quality Authority
Ohio EPA-Office of Pollution Prevention
Business:
Worthington Industries
Century Surety Company
Grange Mutual Insurance Company
Vorys, Sater, Seymour & Pease, Attorneys at Law
Moots, Cope, Stanton & Carter, Attorneys at Law
AMC Theaters
Bravo Restaurants
Dr. Chrisanne Gordo
