Azimuth has completed solar installations for the Moonrise Hotel and Pageant Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri. The projects included 50 kW of solar, multiple custom aluminum and steel awnings and canopies and electric vehicle charging stations.
Azimuth said the projects were a unique opportunity. In addition to solar awnings and canopies, the company installed a BIPV roof for the hotel’s rooftop restaurant the Twilight Room. The contractor engineered and constructed a special framework to support the module installation, including waterproofing measures to keep out the outdoor elements.
The awnings, canopies and solar roof were designed to provide additional amenities and occupancy opportunities for the hotel and enhanced aesthetics for the theatre. Hotel occupants and the general public can actually touch the operating solar-PV systems. This required increased attention to safety during design. All of the power electronics and other components tie into the buildings in different places. However, they still provide the level of safety and documentation necessary for the utility and emergency responders.
Azimuth said that because the two buildings were not designed to integrate distributed renewable generation, there was no consideration given to interconnection or making them “solar ready.” The Twilight Room did not exist at all on the roof prior to this project, so interconnection and power for the energy systems had to be engineered into the existing distribution system. Conduit routing through the buildings was exceptionally difficult, since both buildings were highly compartmentalized with masonry firewalls throughout due to the high occupancy.
Another challenge was that both buildings were heavily occupied, and the solar-PV systems were highly visible and able to be touched. Some of the solar-PV awnings were at street level. Azimuth designed these components custom to this application , so that they would perform for the long term and also not present an attractive or susceptible opportunity for vandalism or invite damaging misbehavior.
Project information from Azimuth Energy