Finland-based Vaisala, a global leader in weather, environmental, and industrial measurements, embarked on a visionary project to erect a cutting-edge U.S. headquarters in Colorado, showcasing the company’s unwavering dedication to sustainability. The endeavor encompassed the construction of a new building seamlessly integrated with the existing one, fostering a fluid indoor-outdoor campus designed to cater to customers, employees, researchers and partners alike.
Inspired by the sleek, minimalist design ethos of their Scandinavian headquarters, the new structure embodies modernity while prioritizing eco-consciousness. Notably, the project achieves net-zero energy through a fusion of sustainable design features. Among these are a state-of-the-art, 492-panel rooftop solar array, a highly efficient VRF mechanical system, and a striking, vertical, double-skin curtain wall facade, all meticulously orchestrated to minimize energy consumption.
The project has achieved an impressive Energy Use Intensity (EUI) of 28, demonstrating exceptional energy performance. This achievement not only exceeds standard energy codes but also positions the headquarters as one of Colorado’s foremost sustainable office buildings.
The building incorporates a lower TPO roof hosting a tilted solar array, an upper standing seam metal roof utilizing S-5!’s S-5-U Mini/UniRac rail-based solar racking system, and a vertical façade wall featuring the PVKIT and S-5-U clamp solar mounting system.
The Challenge
The owner desired a sleek-looking, low-profile system that would complement the look of the roof and the high-end, architecturally designed building. The main challenge was to provide an aesthetically pleasing, vertically mounted solar PV array on the existing standing seam façade wall, including engineering sign-off on the solution. A conventional, heavy rail-mounted system was deemed unsuitable for the façade wall.
The array not only needed to look impressive, as it would be highly visible for those who arrived at the Vaisala building, but it also needed to withstand tremendous wind loads. This area of Colorado experiences around 145 mph wind speeds and Category C exposure, so Vaisala needed a system that could withstand extreme wind conditions.
The Solution
Namaste Solar recommended the direct-attach PVKIT rail-less solar mounting solution paired with the S-5-U clamp, for the façade mounted array. Together, the solar mountings provided a low-profile, sleek, lightweight solution to secure the solar array to the standing seam wall, which featured Berridge Zee-Lock 24-gauge standing seam metal.
Additionally, it enabled the owner to achieve a design engineered to withstand the region’s high winds. By directly attaching the PV to the seams, it provided installation efficiency and flexibility, and distributed the load more uniformly into the structure.
The clamps perform a secondary function as wind clamps, often referred to as “External Seam Clamps” (ESC). These wind clamps measurably increase the roof’s wind uplift resistance capacity, preventing multiple modes of failure, including seam separation and clip disengagement when used at roof clip locations.
“S-5! was chosen for this project because they are the most trusted clamps for standing seam applications,” said Ash Bowersock, Namaste Solar Commercial Technical Designer. “Also having the option to use the S-5-U Mini clamps (for the rooftop array with the railed system) and the S-5-U standard clamps for the façade mounted array was essential. Considering the uncommon forces being exerted on racking for a vertical array, having clamps with two set screws certainly helped alleviate concerns about clamps rotating under load. The low-profile of the S-5! PVKIT really helped with the wind loading, and of course aesthetics.
Long-Term Outlook
Over time, the solar system will offset 69% of the building’s electrical consumption. The PVKIT solar attachments provided the ideal mounting solution and aesthetic appeal the customer desired without penetrating the standing seam profile.
“Namaste Solar has been utilizing S-5!’s family of quality engineered products on our solar projects for many years,” notes Briana Morris, Commercial Principal Engineer, Namaste Solar. “We haven’t come across a metal roof profile that their products could not handle. When we started the façade-mounted portion of this project, we worked through our S-5! options, and knowing aesthetics were a top priority for the customer, the PVKIT solution was a natural choice. We had yet to dip our toes into rail-less solutions on the commercial side as we were concerned about wire management for the field. With a little pre-planning before placing modules, it turned out to be a non-issue. Our crews loved installing this system and said they would be perfectly happy installing more projects just like this.”
TEAM
Architect: OZ Architecture, Denver, Colorado, ozarch.com
Structural Engineer: JVA Consulting Engineers, Denver, Colorado, jvajva.com
Roofing Contractor: B&M Roofing, Frederick, Colorado, bmroofing.com
Solar Designer/Installer: Namaste Solar, Boulder, Colorado, namastesolar.com
MATERIALS
Roof/Façade Wall: Zee-Lock 24-gauge standing seam metal, Berridge Manufacturing Co., berridge.com
Solar Modules: Hanwha QCell, us.qcells.com
Inverters: CPS, chintpowersystems.com
Solar Mounts: PVKIT, S-5-U clamp, S-5-U Mini clamp, S-5!, s-5.com
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