The Steel Yard Solar Array

KITE is so excited to be a part of the Steel Yard’s imminent growth and vision for the future. As we celebrate the recent completion of the SuperStudio, a renovation, restoration and construction process that brought heat, ventilation and accessibility to the 100 year old shop, we’re already looking to the next phase: a 50 KW solar array designed to mount the original gantry that will feed back into the grid.

Howie Sneider, Executive Director of the Steel Yard, announced the project at a September 17th press conference: “As a community of artists and craftspeople, and especially industrial artists and craftspeople, we are keenly aware of the environmental cost of self-expression. At the Steel Yard we believe it is our responsibility to understand the environmental impacts of our work and to make sustainable choices whenever possible, so with special thanks to Newport Renewables, Kite Architects and the Renewable Energy Fund at Commerce RI, we’ve completed plans for the Steel Yard’s 50KW solar canopy that will be installed later this year.”

Designed by KITE Architects, with building and construction by TRAC Builders, renovations to the facility are directly addressing community needs. The solar panels designed and provided by Newport Renewables will be a step towards the energy independence and responsibility that will make the industrial arts viable for generations to come.