William A. Kerr Foundation uses 3.5kW solar PV system with 2.4kW Skystream wind turbine

The William A. Kerr Foundation took an old bathhouse building near the riverfront on the north side of Laclede’s Landing and converted it to the city’s first LEED Platinum certified buildings. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a standard established by the US Green Building Council to establish points of merit for design innovation, location, sustainability, water and energy efficiency, materials used, and quality of the environment.

The facility, located at 21 O’Fallon, is used for office space by foundation trustees, and serves as a safe place for local cyclists to store bicycles and change in and out of biking gear after treks on the nearby St. Louis Riverfront Trail. The building is also used to showcase a variety of green technologies, including the solar PV system and wind turbine installed by The Energy Savings Store.  The combined output of the 3.5kW Uni-Solar PV laminate system and 2.4kW Skystream wind turbine offsets nearly 25% of the building's power needs. Other features that contributed to the LEED certification include a green roof terrace, low-flow showers and faucets, dual-flush toilets, skylights, and the use of a variety of recycled materials in the rehab project.

The site is used to host a variety of events, which in turn showcase the eco-centric features of the building for education purposes.