The last of 4,784 solar PV panels that will power Mill 19 at Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood Green site have been placed, marking the completion of the largest single sloped solar array in the United States. The $5 million project, completed by Scalo Solar Solutions, comprises a massive scale, covering 133,000 sq. ft across the frame of Mill 19.

The panels were installed using an innovative access platform netting material, aptly called the Spider WorkWeb, and attached to the Mill’s existing steel structure in a manner taut enough for the solar installers to walk on. The slope of the roof is 20°, and the LG solar panels will will generate over 2 MW of power.

The over quarter-mile long Mill 19 structure includes the steel skeleton of the original mill building, formerly built by the Jones & Laughlin Steel Company in 1943. The tenants of this site include Carnegie Mellon University’s Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) and Manufacturing Futures Initiative, and Catalyst Connection in Building A. Building B houses Aptiv, which recently entered into a joint venture with Hyundai to create autonomous or ‘self-driving’ vehicles.

A former brownfield site, Hazelwood Green is envisioned as a model of sustainable development. Mill 19 has been designed with the goal of achieving LEED v4 Gold certification, with a high-performance envelope providing maximum thermal efficiency and up to 96% daylight autonomy. 100% of the complex’s total electricity usage will be offset by energy generated on site, and storm water will be conveyed through a rainwater garden to centrally located infiltration basins. Captured rooftop rainwater will be reused in the cooling tower and for flushing in the restrooms.

The Regional Industrial Development Corporation of Southwestern Pennsylvania (RIDC) owns the Mill 19 site with Almono LP owning the other majority of the Hazelwood Green site.

Kelly Pickerel has over a decade of experience reporting on the U.S. solar industry and is currently editor in chief of Solar Power World.

Something special about the men who worked in mill 19. We lived across the street from Mill 19. That part of Hazelwood, on Irvine Street, Chatsworth St, and Sylvan Ave, was considered the poorer part of town. During the Fourth of July evening, the men who worked Mill 19, would set off hugh fireworks, so that we would be able to enjoy the holiday, and have some fun. We lived so close to mill 19, our house shook, when steel was rolled! During my construction career, I had many projects in J&L, in the coke plant, at Eliza power plant, as well as the South side mills. What an amazing accomplishment from Mill 19 again.

M. Carnahan, VP/GM Scalo Solar. says

Hi Bruce. You are correct. Mill 19 is the last remaining remnants of the J&L Steel Mill. It was bought by LTV Steel in the 1974. It finally closed in 1998, being the last operating Steel mill in the City of Pittsburgh, and remained a brown field for the next nearly 20 years.

If you ever want to come back and tour your old workplace, our foreman would be happy to show you around. His father also worked here in the steel plant during its heyday, so it’s close to his heart (and ours) to be able to bring this place new purpose and preserve this little bit of Pittsburgh’s history.

Wow! I cannot tell for sure but that looks like the Jones & Laughlin Steel Mill Rolling Mills that I worked in during summers while I was going to Penn State in the late 70s. The flats/rods were made up in the left end and the coil alley (where huge red hot coils came down the alley hanging from huge hooks) was right against the windows from about the middle to the far right.

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