North America's biggest power move yet; Tallest BIPV facade to be installed on St. Mary's University in Halifax, Canada
Mitrex, St. Mary's University, EllisDon, Dillon Consulting, DSRA Architects, Markland Construction, & BMR Structural Engineering partner up to bring North America the tallest solar integrated building
Mitrex manufactures building-integrated solar products for the construction industry that generate sustainable and renewable electricity—taking a decentralized approach to our energy sources.
TORONTO, April 19, 2022 /CNW/ - Mitrex, a Toronto-based manufacturer of BIPV (building-integrated photovoltaics), has announced its latest awe-inspiring project to turn up the brightness on St. Mary's University (SMU) in Halifax, NS. Mitrex will transform the student residence at St. Mary's University with an integrated solar facade solution, marking the tallest, largest BIPV micro-grid application in North America.
This decentralized energy source supplies electricity that synchronously operates and connects to the traditional grid, with the unique ability to disconnect from the grid and function autonomously. The ability for SMU's student residence and all our structures to go in, as Mitrex puts it, "island mode," fosters our resilience to changes dictated by technical or economic conditions.
Awarding the contract to Mitrex will allow SMU to take a big step toward reducing the structure's carbon emissions with seamless solar energy generation. The work will be done by DSRA Architects, Dillon Consulting, and BMR Structural Engineering, with construction overseen by the EllisDon Corporation and Markland Construction.
To be completed in early 2023, the retrofit on the south facade will consist of over 6,000 SF of solar cladding, accented by vertical, semi-opaque solar glass integrated into the windows. The design of the cladding panels will be a delicate combination of school colors with a subtle reveal of solar technology – a perfect blend of traditional and modern elements.
Mitrex specializes in developing and manufacturing solar integrated building materials such as facades, roofs, railings, windows, etc. Ultimately, Mitrex aims for a future where every sun-touched surface generates energy with visually appealing solar products. The SMU project aligns with this vision by revamping the existing structure with an energy-generating building envelope.
"Projects like the SMU retrofit with other like-minded establishments can effectively showcase the vast opportunities offered by new technologies in the building and construction sector," says Mitrex CEO Danial Hadizadeh. "The building community needs to think of micro-grids as a must and not an option and rethink their contributions to carbon emissions on every level from carbon used to make the products to powering the structure post-construction. Integrated solar energy is the future—it has already started to replace outdated solutions that only add to global warming."
At this point, construction operations and building materials have a destructive 40% share of annual global carbon emissions, and this stake is only expected to increase. Innovations in building materials are needed to transform the construction industry. Mitrex aims to provide industry-leading solutions for builders, architects, and owners with renewable building materials. SMU's student residence showcasing North America's tallest BIPV project is the first of many more aimed at transforming structures into energy-generating power plants.
Mitrex solar integrated building envelope solutions offer:
- Integrated solar technology made in Canada
- Agile manufacturing processes that maximize efficiency and quality
- Aesthetically pleasing solar products with various designs, colours, and panel size options
- Low embodied carbon coupled with clean energy generation
- Contribution to LEED points for any project
- Patented coatings and cutting-edge technology to ensure a reliable energy source
Researching, advancing, and manufacturing integrated solar technology is at the core of Mitrex. A world leader in the green building sector, Mitrex has made it its mission to have a transformative effect on the building industry through the adoption of sustainable, human-made structures that produce energy. As a company, Mitrex strives to balance the intersection of beauty and efficiency. Mitrex believes that rapid, low-cost, sustainable manufacturing is economically viable, and is the road to a brighter future for humanity. For more information, please visit www.mitrex.com.
EllisDon is an employee-owned, $5 billion-a-year construction services company that has grown exponentially beyond its modest origins in London, Ontario. With over 5,000 salaried and hourly employees across fifteen national and international offices, EllisDon has become a leader in every sector and nearly every facet of the construction industry. EllisDon is determined to lead the coming disruption in the construction sector, having recently created pioneering initiatives in Energy Management, Smart Buildings Software and Data Analytics. For more information, please visit https://www.ellisdon.com/
Markland Construction in a construction firm located in Halifax, Nova Scotia active in the structure and building contractors industry.
DSRA represents the leading edge of a 65 year evolution in the field of building design. Over the many years the firm has undergone significant change and adaptation to remain vibrant and progressive within the field. Today, DSRA Architects is a robust multidisciplinary firm with a deep portfolio of work and a broad cross section of professionals with expert knowledge and experience. While they continue to evolve as a firm, the tenets of practice remain unchanged from the time of inception: design excellence and quality service. For more information, please visit https://dsra.ca/
Dillon is a proudly Canadian, employee-owned professional consulting firm specializing in planning, engineering, environmental science and management. They partner with clients to provide committed, collaborative and inventive solutions to complex, multi-faceted projects. For more information, please visit https://www.dillon.ca/
With 50 years of experience, BMR delivers unparalleled structural engineering services throughout Atlantic Canada. For BMR, innovation, responsiveness and quality are more than corporate aspirations and ideals—they're values they bring to every single project, from buildings to bridges, from tunnels to treatment plants. For more information, please visit https://bmreng.com/
SOURCE Mitrex - Integrated Solar Technology
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