August 23, 2004—Wausau Window and Wall Systems teamed with Spire Solar Chicago to provide 11,000-square-feet of SuperWall system with building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) panels for two, solar-powered Exelon Pavilions opening this fall as part of Chicago’s new Millennium Park.
The two, black minimalist towers designed by Hammond Beeby Rupert Ainge Architects (HBRA) further the “greening” of Chicago by integrating solar technology for a self-sustaining, conserving energy source as funded through a grant from Commonwealth Edison and its parent company Exelon Corp.
Helping achieve the goals on this fast-paced project, Wausau’s mechanical, civil and electrical engineering team members worked closely with HBRA to maintain the Pavilions’ intended design. Concurrently, Wausau’s engineers collaborated with Spire to meet the buildings’ solar power performance needs.
The certified BIPV curtainwall complies with the stringent test protocols of Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL), as well as with the National Electrical Code (NEC) and the Chicago Building Code. Once the UL listing was awarded for the application, Wausau manufactured and shipped its SuperWall system in factory-assembled ladder frames. The frames were painted by Linetec in Metro Black to match the color of Spire’s PV modules and panels.
Chicago’s Exelon Pavilions are located on Randolph Street to the east and west of the Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance. Both buildings provide access to parking below and the northwest Pavilion also serves as a welcome center and a venue for special exhibitions on energy, parks and other themes.
As part of Millennium Park, the Exelon Pavilions sit on 24.5 acres including the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, designed by Frank Gehry and deemed the most sophisticated outdoor concert venue of its kind in the United States. In the words of Mayor Richard M. Daley, “Using solar electricity at Millennium Park is consistent with our goal as a city to expand the use of renewable energy. Chicago is committed to leading by example and incorporating technology that will not only save money but is good for the environment and the overall quality of life for our residents.”
Building on this message, the City of Chicago’s Millennium Park Web site emphasizes that the park features an “unprecedented combination of architecture, monumental sculpture and landscape design” and “is the crowning achievement of the vision set forth by the original founders of Chicago in 1837. The city’s motto, ‘Urbs In Horto’ or ‘City in a Garden’ has never rung truer.”
