Agricultural and Clean Energy Technology Center

Salas O’Brien partnered with SUNY Morrisville to design its new hands-on Alternative Energy Center, which includes instructional classrooms and vocational labs for agricultural engineering, high-bay vehicle maintenance, diesel and hydraulic labs, solar, wind, and hydro-power shops, biofuel and thermal combustion labs, and a wind turbine tower lab. Our mechanical design for these spaces achieves net zero conditions for the construction of the building. We installed AHUs with VAVs, a biofuels boiler, in-floor radiant heat, and exhaust and make-up air systems.

In addition, we designed and interconnected an 85kW photovoltaic solar array featuring fixed-tilt and tracking rack-mounted solar cells to the electric service, allowing students to view a live digital display of the building’s clean energy production in the lobby. The new PV solar array serves as a live teaching tool for students studying renewable energy, bridging the gap between classroom instruction and field experience.