Solar panels power Street Dixon Rick Architecture's business
- TSU class goes green for architecture

Nashville, Tenn. – TSU students recently took a closer look at solar panels in action at architectural firm Street Dixon Rick in west Nashville.

About 15 students met with Steve Rick, principal, Street Dixon Rick Architecture, PLC. They asked questions about sustainability in building design, the use of solar panels in commercial buildings and why the firm decided to install the panels on the roof of their two-story office building on Kenner Avenue.

"Architects are advising clients to 'think green' and we wanted to lead the way," Rick said. "Over time, this investment will more than pay for itself."

The 72 photovoltaic panels firmly secured on the roof have the potential to generate 12 kilowatt hours of green energy. They generate power when the sun is out and even on some cloudy days.

"I'm planning to track this to determine exactly how long it takes to pay for itself. Right now we're hopeful this payback will be in the 10 to 12 year range and that's a very conservative estimate," Rick said.

Students from the architectural/engineering program joined Professor Hinton Jones for the tour. Jones said there has been growing interest in learning more about sustainable architecture.

"We were particularly interested in the application of solar energy and its benefits to commercial structures," Jones said.

Street Dixon Rick has taken a leadership role in sustainable, environmentally friendly design and construction. That's one of the reasons the firm was selected to design the largest residential green complex in Tennessee, which is underway at the Vanderbilt University campus. The Vanderbilt University project is LEED registered and is on target to be certified at the silver level.

In brief, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings.

LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.

To cover the installation costs of the solar panels at its Kenner Avenue location, Street Dixon Rick had help from the Tennessee Clean Energy Technology grant program, which pays as much as 40 percent of a clean energy tech system. Street Dixon Rick is the first commercial firm to provide energy back to NES through the generation partners program. The firm also worked with Steve Johnson with LightWave Electric, designer/installer of solar panels systems.

"There are 72 solar panels on our roof and if you step to the side of the building, you can see that one meter shows how much power we're supplying at any given time, and the other one shows how much our offices use," Rick said.

All the firm's architects provide expert advice on creating green building designs and the large majority has also completed certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). This professional accreditation is awarded by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) only to those who have proven a thorough understanding of green building practices and principles.

"We have offered a course in Energy Conservation for the past five years," Jones said. "Each year the information about energy conservation increases and interest nationally is growing. We are introducing the concept of sustainability in all of our courses in the program, beginning at the freshman level.

"We feel that the concept of sustainability transcends the classroom and must be practiced in all facets of our everyday lives," he said.

More sites about energy efficiency and sustainable architecture:
www.nespower.com/generation_partners.aspx
www.gpsgenpartners.com
www.usgbc.org