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Project Profile

Project Regional Archives Center Trusts Valued The Murphy Federal Record Center fit all the
Records to Solar Electric Roof with stated criteria. GSA - New England regional
Frederick C. Murphy Federal Center
Sarnafil EnergySmart Roof® Membrane energy coordinator Roman Piaskoski applied
Waltham, MA
for funding through the Energy Center of
As Northeast headquarters for the National Expertise within the Office of Applied
Owner Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Sciences and Technology, and began market
U.S General Services Administration the Frederick C. Murphy Federal Center in research.
Waltham, MA, houses documents such as
Roofing Contractor Revolutionary War military service records; The new roofing system needed to be of the
Silktown Roofing, Inc. Federal population censuses for all states, highest durability (given building equipment
South Grafton, MA 1790 – 1930; and passenger arrival records load and anticipated maintenance foot traffic)
for many East Coast and Gulf Coast ports. and would need to provide the latest in
When its EPDM roof started failing, it was Energy Star (EPA) cool roof technology to
Solar Electric Manufacturer and Installer
critical to find a new roof that not only would maximize system payback through energy
Solar Integrated protect the facility and its precious contents savings.
Los Angeles, CA against future roof leaks, but would also be
energy efficient. “We had considered different types of
Roofing Systems roofing systems, including TPO, PVC and
Solar Integrated’s Building Integrated Failure of the existing roof system could EPDM, and we wanted an Energy Star ‘cool
Photovoltaic (BIPV) Solar Electric roofing result in loss of irreplaceable federal roof’,” Piaskoski said. “Sean M. Orgel, an
system, using 45 mil, S327 EnergySmart documents. Architectural Engineer for GSA / PBS Region
1, and I had worked on a solar roofing
Roof® membrane in white
The GSA Energy Center of Expertise within project in Boston about eight years ago that
the Office of Applied Science and Technology used crystalline solar panels, but when we
Project Size had been looking to demonstrate new off- heard of this system that uses flat thin film,
144,000 square feet the-shelf renewable energy technology. flexible, amorphous silicon panels integrated
They were looking for a facility within the with a Sarnafil EnergySmart Roof we thought
Completed GSA inventory nationally, that met the ‘Hey, this could be it!’”
January 2007 criteria of 1) need 2) size 3) site (solar
availability). Manufactured by Los Angeles-based Solar
Integrated, the Integrated BIPV solar roofing
system consists of a series of 10 x 40 foot
solar electric roof panels – each of which
has 12 flexible photovoltaic modules factory
laminated to the surface of the Sarnafil
G410 carrier membrane. These panels are
then hot-air welded to Sarnafil EnergySmart
Roof membrane and wired to the building’s
electrical system. Tim Kehrli, director of
government sales for Solar Integrated,
pointed out that Solar Integrated selected
the Sarnafil EnergySmart Roof membrane
to be part of the BIPV solar roofing system
because of its proven performance history,
high reflectivity, superior fire ratings, and its
heat-welded seams. “We looked at other
systems but kept coming back to the fact
that Sika Sarnafil is a quality company, has
a quality roofing system, and has a quality
history,” he explained.
Solar Integrated’s solar electric roofing panels on the Frederick C. Murphy Federal Center in Waltham, MA.
A Fast and Flawless Installation

Once the decision was made to go with was, as usual, invaluable.” Orgel adds that the new roof will also
the BIPV system – making it the largest improve indoor air quality by protecting
BIPV installation in the Federal Government “This installation was an opportunity for against leaks and mold, and also decrease
– the pressure was on to have the new all sorts of problems, but we didn’t have operating costs for heating and cooling
roof installed as quickly as possible, before a single hitch,” Piaskoski stated. “It was equipment, due to the increased insulation
the New England weather turned cold. In pretty close to a perfect project. A lot of that and reflectivity of the new roof. Piaskoski
addition, “we were covering a national credit goes to the roofing crews – I found stated that in one archive, where humidity is
archives facility so we couldn’t risk any the crews to be very conscientious and closely monitored to protect the documents
damage to the contents of the building,” professional.” stored there, the humidity is “dead on” since
Orgel explained. the new roof was installed, and the chillers
Record-Breaking Results and boilers have stopped their constant
There were two different roofing crews cycling on and off that was customary with
working on the installation – Solar Integrated According to Tim Kehrli, it is calculated that the old roof.
of Los Angeles and Silktown Roofing, Inc. power generated by the BIPV will replace
of South Grafton, MA. Fortunately, the two almost 50 percent of the power the building A Noteworthy Solution
crews worked very well together, producing currently draws from the local utility. “Since
work that was “absolutely great,” according records show that the building typically uses All the parties are extremely pleased with
to Orgel. “I was skeptical about their plan one million kilowatt hours, this means the the new roof and the opportunity to save
to install 80 to 100 squares a day, but roof is conservatively estimated to generate energy and help the environment. “This is
after a week of watching them I was very 488,000 kilowatt hours per year,” he said. one of the most exciting projects I’ve worked
impressed. In the end they averaged 100 on in my 17 years with GSA,” Piaskoski
squares per day.” In addition to saving the GSA about $67,000 stated.
per year in electrical costs (and at times
“Because we were on such an aggressive generating income on peak demand days “This is a great product, and everything went
schedule Solar Integrated had to start the when extra power can be sold to the local perfectly,” Woz said. “I would definitely
tear-off at 3:00 or 4:00 a.m., and then the utility) the BIPV system will also result in recommend the system again.”
Silktown crew would start their work at substantial greenhouse gas reductions.
7:00 a.m.,” explained Jason Woz, general According to Kehrli, a roof generating Orgel summed it up nicely. “I now have
manager at Silktown. “Fortunately the 488,000 kilowatts of electrical power every a beautiful roof system with solar panels,
two crews were able to partner up and year typically reduces greenhouse gases by increased insulation, and a reflective roofing
move forward pretty well….it was an easy 709 pounds of nitrogen oxide, 1,783 pounds membrane,” he explained. “How can I go
marriage. Not to mention that the technical of sulfur dioxide, and 423,404 pounds of wrong?”
assistance from the Sika Sarnafil people carbon dioxide per year.

To learn more: Canada Office:


Job# 975/3M/0807

Sika Sarnafil, A Business Unit


Sika Sarnafil Inc. of Sika Canada Inc.
100 Dan Road 6820 Davand Drive, Unit 2
Canton, MA 02021 Mississauga, Ontario L5T 1J5
Telephone 1-800-451-2504 Telephone 905-670-2222
Telefax 781-828-5365 Telefax 905-670-5278
Internet www.sikacorp.com Internet www.sika.ca

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