Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Smart Solar Windows – A Step Towards Carbon Neutral Buildings
EPA Grant Number: SU835704Title: Smart Solar Windows – A Step Towards Carbon Neutral Buildings
Investigators: Patrick, David L. , Love, Edwin , Kintzele, James , Mayther, James , Sumner, Ryan , O'Sell, Sarah , Bouscher, Hannah , Slater, Adam , Erickson, Christian , Loper, Ashley
Institution: Western Washington University
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Phase: I
Project Period: August 15, 2014 through August 14, 2015
Project Amount: $15,000
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2014) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Challenge Area - Sustainable and Healthy Communities , P3 Challenge Area - Air Quality , P3 Awards , Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Objective:
The goal of this project is to develop and demonstrate a new, cost-effective smart window technology combining a transparent photovoltaic solar concentrator with passive ventilation to simultaneously produce power and reduce HVAC building loads as a step toward carbon-neutral buildings and communities.
An interdisciplinary team of chemistry, engineering, industrial design, environmental studies, and business students have designed, built and demonstrated the new technology.
The Smart Solar Window is based upon a recent advance in luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) technology from developed by the team. The LSC consists of a thin polymer film containing luminescent quantum dots that can be applied to a glass window pane, allowing it to collect UV light and concentrate it at the edges of the window. Tiny strips of photovoltaic cells attached at the edges within the frame convert this concentrated sunlight into electricity. The window appears transparent, but instead of reflecting UV light, it harvests it to generate power. This power is used to run sensors and actuators which intelligently open and close the window, synergistically providing cooling and airflow in wireless coordination with the building's HVAC system. The new technology thus has the potential to generate more renewable power within the same building footprint, while substantially reducing HVAC power consumption, representing an important step toward the development of fully carbon neutral buildings and communities. (Fig. 1).
Figure 1.The Smart Solar Window both generates power and reduces building HVAC energy consumption. Windows become synergistic elements participating in coordinated, building-wide decision making for ventilation and power production, connected through wireless communication with central HVAC systems and a network of integrated sensors.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
Research and development during Phase I is leading to the construction of a fully-operational prototype Smart Solar Window (Fig. 2) measuring 14 x 18. The Phase I prototype incorporates integrated sensors, smart electronics, motorized open/close actuation, on-board energy storage for nighttime operation, and wireless communication capabilities. The core luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) technology at the heart of the Smart Solar Window was improved through the development of lower loss waveguide materials, higher concentration of luminescent quantum dots within the LSC polymer material, and the synthesis of quantum dots able to absorb a wider range of the solar spectrum (from ultraviolet to ~500 nm). A higher performance optical coupler was designed for more efficient delivery of concentrated sunlight from the LSC pane to the photovoltaic cells in the window frame. Together these improvements enabled us to meet or come very close to meeting all performance metrics and technical milestones set out in our original proposal for Phase I work.
Figure 2. Phase I prototype of the Smart Solar Window. One of the three window panes has been replaced with a transparent luminescent solar concentrator and the frame has been fitted with control electronics, sensors, and an actuator.
Another important set of outcomes was derived from the team's educational and outreach efforts, which included participation in WWU's annual graduate research conference and the development of an online presence on Facebook and Twitter. The team gained experience and public exposure in a competition based format through the annual University of Washington (UW) Environmental Innovation Challenge, as well as UW's Business Plan Competition. In addition, the Solar Window team competed in Bellingham Washington's Northwest Innovation Challenge (NWIC). The Solar Window project won second place and
$10,000 at the UW Environmental Innovation Challenge, and $15,000 at the NWIC. In addition, the Solar Window team has been invited to speak and present at an annual WWU event called "Tech Tonic on April 14th, 2015, and at the Compass to Campus event for middle school students in the Fall.
Conclusions:
The team was able to achieve almost every objective set forth for Phase I and is on track for the continued development, assessment, and planning for deployment of the technology. One important outcome of the Phase I effort was the feedback and guidance team members received from a variety of sources, most especially from industry experts.
Journal Articles on this Report : 2 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
Other project views: | All 6 publications | 2 publications in selected types | All 2 journal articles |
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Erickson CS, Bradshaw LR, McDowall S, Gilbertson JD, Gamelin DR, Patrick DL. Zero-reabsorption doped-nanocrystal luminescent solar concentrators. American Chemical Society Nano 2014;8(4):3461-3467. |
SU835704 (Final) |
Exit Exit |
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Sumner R, Eiselt S, Kilburn TB, Erikson C, Carlson B, Gamelin DR, McDowall S, Patrick DL. Analysis of Optical Losses in High-Efficiency CuInS2-Based Nanocrystal Luminescent Solar Concentrators:Balancing Absorption versus Scattering. JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C 2017;121(6):3252-3260. |
SU835704 (Final) |
Exit |
Supplemental Keywords:
solar energy, sustainable design, earth-abundant materials, chemistry, engineering, industrial design, quantum dot, luminescent solar concentratorRelevant Websites:
Smart Solar Window on Twitter Exit
P3 Phase II:
Smart Solar Windows – A Step Towards Carbon Neutral Buildings | 2016 Progress Report | Final ReportThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.