Alcatraz Solar

With design assistance from the HDR team, the National Park Service is bringing solar power to Alcatraz Island. The project includes mounting solar panels on two historic buildings on the island, including the infamous main prison building. For years, Alcatraz Island relied solely on diesel generators for its power supply, with diesel fuel brought to the island by boat. As a significant source of air pollution, the generators detracted from the National Park Service's vision of a smaller carbon footprint for their parks.

The main prison solar system will produce 188 kilowatts of power under average conditions while the system installed on the rooftop of the New Industries Building will produce 97 kilowatts. A battery system was added to supply stored power when solar power alone isn't enough to meet the power needs for the island. Two diesel generators will remain on the island for back up power generation. The Alcatraz solar system is designed to be one of the largest off-grid solar systems in the United States and will dramatically reduce the island's dependence on diesel generators. The system will be transparent to tourists and significantly reduce negative greenhouse gas emissions.