Renewable Energy Design, Fort Sumter National Monument

Historic Fort Sumter is located on a small island near the entrance to Charleston Harbor and is the area's most-visited tourist attraction, with 750,000 annual visitors. The project, delivered under an Indefinite Delivery Contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District, supported the efforts of the National Park Service to increase the energy efficiency of the site.  

TYLin’s services included providing the design and quality review of a value analysis for a new hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) system and photovoltaic (PV) solar system. Both systems had to meet a predetermined percentage of the site’s total power demand.  

The new HFC system provides backup power when the public utility grid and solar panels are not available. Integrated into the site’s upgraded electrical system, the HFC system consists of an electrolyzer, hydrogen storage tanks, fuel cells, and an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) system. 

TYLin designed the solar PV panels for the site, which are located on the museum’s irregularly shaped roof.  

Project Highlights: 

• TYLin generated the feasibility study and schematic design for issuing the request for proposal (RFP) for a design-build construction project.  
• A new roof membrane was designed to integrate the PV arrays. 
• TYLin adhered to all required standards, including those of the NPS, the Denver Service Center (DSC), the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and the National Preservation Act.