I really like the wokr of the Center of Architecture Science and ecology. This month they feature a new solar-solution. Solar is entering a new stage where it’s more and more integrated in appliances and also building materials. The Integrated Concentrating Solar Facade System is a great example of building integrated photovoltaic system that takes a dramatically different approach than existing building integrated photovoltaic technologies to provide electrical power, thermal energy, enhanced daylighting and reduced solar gain. The system (for both retrofit applications and new construction) is architecturally integrated into the facades and roof atria of buildings while still providing maximum outside views and diffuse daylight for the building users.
These benefits are accomplished by miniaturizing and distributing the essential components of concentrating PV technology within the weather-sealed windows of the building envelopes. An alternative approach is to place the components behind the external façade envelope and construct an inner surface to protect the mechanisms. The IC Solar System produces electricity with a PV cell, captures much of the remaining solar energy as heat for domestic hot water, space heating (or, possibly, for distributed absorption refrigeration cooling), reduces solar gain by the building, and enhances interior daylighting quality, thus reducing overuse of artificial lighting. The design and operation of the system permits direct partial views of the outside by the building’s inhabitants. The modular design can be attached to a range of existing building structures or implemented into new designs. The tracking IC Solar Module System has been demonstrated in several ‘proof of concept’ lab-scale prototypes with multiple cell types.
The technical challenges of the IC Solar System are to produce a low-cost shading system for windows that:
1. uses as much of incoming direct normal irradiation as possible in the production of electricity
2. allows as much diffuse incident irradiation as possible to enter occupied spaces for day-lighting
3. requires little maintenance
4. captures, as thermal power, that which is not directly converted to electric power via the PV cell, thereby lowering building cooling loads
5. is aesthetically attractive for architectural markets
Simple payback estimates indicate dramatically reduced payback periods in comparison to conventional PV systems currently on the market, while substantially increasing efficiency by orders of magnitude.
Be inspired by the fascinating work of the Center for Architecture Science and Ecology.
