The Frederick C. Murphy Federal Center is not only home to 640,000 cubic feet of federal records that date back to the 1780s, the National Archives and Records Administration building also has the biggest solar roof in New England.
This morning, officials from NARA, the U.S. General Services Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the city will hold a conference to announce completion of the $5 million solar panel project.
Yesterday, the Tribune toured the facility and got a firsthand look at the 252 double solar panels that now cover the 143,000-square-foot roof.
People come from the city and far beyond to access historic, government, personal, and geneology records at the Federal Center every day, says NARA Regional Administration Diane LeBlanc.
"We are the nation's record keeper," LeBlanc said. "A good roof is very important to us because we store the nation's treasures."
The solar roof is the product of a collaborative effort organized by the U.S. General Service Administration, the agency responsible for design, construction, operation, and maintenance of all federally owned real estate.
"Decreasing the amount of energy that the federal government uses is a goal of GSA and it's a goal of the (President George W.) Bush administration," said GSA Regional Administrator Dennis Smith. "We have goals that we have set for energy savings and we have been successful in our region in meeting our goals."
The solar panels will produce roughly 45 percent of the building's total energy requirements - about 430,000 kWh annually, according to the GSA.
Squinting through the sunlight yesterday afternoon, NARA project manager Jim Pemberton explained how the panels work.
"The sun produces direct current power with the panel, which goes into the inverter," Pemberton said. "There is no waste involved. Anything we produce over what we use goes back into the main supply."
The $5 million contract was awarded to Solar Integrated Technologies of Los Angeles, and funded mostly through federal energy programs including $4.5 million from the GSA Office of Applied Science, $500,000 from GSA New England Region, and $50,000 from Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.
Recently, the Federal Center has been entertaining visitors from different countries, both in the government and private sector, who are interested in learning more about the solar panel technology, said NARA Assistant Regional Administrator Dave Powers.
Another new feature to the Federal Center is a kiosk in the lobby, offering interactive learning about solar power. The kiosk will soon be able to keep track of how much energy is being saved by the solar panels.
"This is a great educational tool for the number of young people that come to our facility," LeBlanc said.
Environmental concerns have long been a priority for NARA, said LeBlanc. She noted that NARA archive centers throughout the country recycle 18,000 tons of paper a year, the equivalent of 300 trees.
Mayor Jeannette A. McCarthy said the city shares the federal agency's concern, with the William F. Stanley Elementary School a certified "green" building. McCarthy said the Federal Center is an asset to the city.
"They're always a very good neighbor to the city and I think that (the solar roof) shows that they're very concerned about the environment as well," she said.
Nicole Haley can be reached at nhaley@cnc.com or 781-398-8004.
