New Bohemia Solar Project
MAY 2005 - Imperial Multimedia was selected in 2005 to bring our expertise to an exciting kiosk project in Cedar Rapids, IA. The New Bohemia Solar Project is a collaboration between Iowa DNR, I-Renew, Alliant Energy, Thorland Company, and the City of Cedar Rapids, with funding provided by the United States Department of Energy. The purpose of this project was not only to provide 7200 watts of solar energy for Cedar Rapids' existing grid, but also to raise awareness and educate the public about the existence and benefits of solar energy.
Imperial Multimedia was asked to provide a kiosk solution for the purpose disseminating information about solar energy and the New Bohemia project. Additionally it provides both live and cumulative data on the performance of the solar arrays. This allows a comparison between single and dual tracking solar arrays (which will follow the sun throughout the day) and fixed arrays.
Challenges faced by Imperial's team included designing and building a weatherproof, vandal resistant outdoor kiosk. Not only did the kiosk need to withstand an outdoor, urban environment, but it needed to fit in aesthetically to the surrounding bohemian architecture. Imperial worked closely with their fabricators to build a custom enclosure that both protected the sensitive electronics inside the kiosk and looked like it belonged where it was finally installed.
The next step was to design a user friendly software interface with which a user could easily see the energy being produced by the solar panels. Navigating via touch screen, a user could also browse pages of information and images that explain solar energy and provide information on the project partners involved.
Now, with the solar arrays in place and the kiosk installed, Cedar Rapids has a valuable educational tool promoting renewable energy. If you are in the area and would like to see this project, it is located at the Kouba Building near the corner of Third Street and 10th Avenue in southeast Cedar Rapids.
For more information on the New Bohemia Solar Project, contact project manager Rich Dana at 319-530-6051 or e-mail rich@gotoplanb.net.