Solar Hot Water for Bragaw Hall?
As a school that prides itself deeply on its long history of education in engineering, North Carolina State University is always looking for new ways to become more efficient in its consumption of energy. I recently had the opportunity to meet with Pete Fraccaroli, the Facilities Engineer for University Housing. Pete knows very well that college dormitories make an excellent fit for solar hot water systems. When Bragaw Hall was built back in 1958, it represented the state of the art in student residence architecture. Now, over fifty years later, Bragaw is an iconic figure on campus. Believe it or not, I even lived in Bragaw back in my college days!
But as is the case with so many solar thermal retrofits, finding an acceptable location for the major components like the solar hot water collectors and a solar hot water tank can be tricky. In the video below, Pete and I survey the building and discuss the best location for a possible solar water heating system. More and more universities are beginning to see the long-term value in solar hot water. Let’s hope that’s a trend that continues…
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Dr. Ben
