Techno Savvy: A Web 2.0 Curriculum Encouraging Critical Thinking

Science.gov (United States)

Herro, Danielle

2014-01-01

This paper reports results from a case study focused on understanding student practices regarding production-oriented problem-solving with digital media. Thirty-seven students participated in an elective curriculum called, "Techno Savvy," a nine-week course focused on student exploration of global issues, and designed around Web 2.0…

Solar Mosaic Inc. Mosaic Home Solar Loan SunShot 9 Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walsh, Colin James [Solar Mosaic Inc., Oakland, CA (United States)

2017-02-09

The 6686 Mosaic SunShot award has helped Solar Mosaic Inc to progress from an early stage startup focused on commercial crowdfunding to a leading multi-state residential solar lender. The software platform is now used by the majority of the nation's top solar installers and offers a variety of simple home solar loans. Mosaic is has originated approximately $1Bil in solar loans to date to put solar on over 35k rooftops. The company now lends to homeowners with a wide range of credit scores across multiple states and mitigates boundaries preventing them from profiting from ownership of a home solar system. The project included milestones in 5 main categories: 1. Lending to homeowners outside of CA 2. Lending to homeowners with FICO scores under 700 3. Packaging O&M with the home solar loan 4. Allowing residential installers to process home solar loans via API 5. Lowering customer acquisition costs below $1500 This report includes a detailed review of the final results achieved and key findings.

New Home Buyer Solar Water Heater Trade-Off Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Symmetrics Marketing Corporation

1999-01-01

This report details the results of a research conducted in 1998 and 1999 and outlines a marketing deployment plan designed for businesses interested in marketing solar water heaters in the new home industry

Energy Analysis of a Student-Designed Solar House

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samantha Wermager

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the findings from an undergraduate research project concerning the energy efficiency, consumption, and generation of a 1000 ft2 (92.9 m2 solar house. The results were compared to a home of similar size and layout, built using traditional construction methods. The solar house was modeled after the Chameleon House: Missouri University of Science and Technology’s 2013 entry in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon. The efficiency of the design was analyzed using Energy-10 Version 1.8 software. For this comparison, a fictional American couple was created and a breakdown of their energy-use habits was recorded to accurately depict the magnitude of energy consumption. A 71% energy savings was forecasted using the Energy-10 software through the incorporation of various energy-conserving strategies in the home’s design. In addition, if a 9.1 kW photovoltaic array is also installed on a home of this size, it is possible to fully offset the energy consumption of the home. The forecasted energy usage and production detailed in this report shall be used for analyzing the integrity of the design of the Chameleon House as well as future solar houses constructed by the Missouri S&T Solar House Team.

Building America Best Practices Series, Volume 6: High-Performance Home Technologies: Solar Thermal & Photovoltaic Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baechler, Michael C.; Gilbride, Theresa L.; Ruiz, Kathleen A.; Steward, Heidi E.; Love, Pat M.

2007-06-04

This guide is was written by PNNL for the US Department of Energy's Building America program to provide information for residential production builders interested in building near zero energy homes. The guide provides indepth descriptions of various roof-top photovoltaic power generating systems for homes. The guide also provides extensive information on various designs of solar thermal water heating systems for homes. The guide also provides construction company owners and managers with an understanding of how solar technologies can be added to their homes in a way that is cost effective, practical, and marketable. Twelve case studies provide examples of production builders across the United States who are building energy-efficient homes with photovoltaic or solar water heating systems.

A High Rated Solar Water Distillation Unit for Solar Homes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abhishek Saxena

2016-01-01

Full Text Available India is presently focusing on complete utilization of solar energy and saving fossil fuels, which are limited. Various solar energy systems like solar cookers, solar water heaters, solar lanterns, solar PV lights, and solar lamps are continuously availing by the people of India at a low cost and on good subsidies. Apart from this, India is a solar energy promising country with a good number of solar homes (carrying solar energy systems in its various locations. The present paper focuses on a unique combination of solar dish cooker (SDC and solar water heater (SWH to produce distilled water with a high distillate and a high daily productivity. The procedure has been discussed on the basis of experimental testing to produce distilled water by combining an evacuated type SWH and a SDC. Experimentation has been carried out in MIT, Moradabad (longitude, 28.83°N, and latitude, 78.78°E by developing the same experimental setup on behalf of solar homes. The daily productivity of distilled water was found around 3.66 litres per day in full sunshine hours for an approximated pH value of 7.7 and a ppm value of 21. The payback period (PBP has been estimated around 1.16 years of the present system.

Solar Electricity for Homes

Science.gov (United States)

Roman, Harry T.

2012-01-01

Every day, the sun showers the Earth with millions of times more energy than its people use. The only problem is that energy is spread out over the entire Earth's surface and must be harvested. Engineers are learning to capture and use some of this energy to make electricity for homes. Solar panels make up the heart of a solar system. They can be…

Results of the Washington Passive Solar Design/Build Competition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nylen, N.

1981-01-01

In an effort to encourage the design, construction, and marketing of moderately priced passive solar homes in Washington state, the Western Solar Utilization Network (Western SUN) recently sponsored the Washington Passive Solar Design/Build Competition. The competition drew an overwhelming response from designers and builders throughout Washington. Thermal performance of the designs was evaluated by a technical review committee, and final selections were made by the Competition Jury in accordance with the following criteria: perceived market acceptance, thermal performance, cost effectiveness, simplicity of design and operation, and completeness of the passive concept. Design contract awards totaling $50,000 were made available to winners in four categories, including single and multi-family, new and remodeled residences. In order to receive the award in its entirety, winning design/build teams are required to construct their design by April, 1983. As a result of the competition, a great deal was learned about the attitudes and knowledge of professionals and the general public regarding the use of solar energy in Washington state. Among the points that will be highlighted in this paper are the following: (1) a design/build competition is an effective vehicle for promoting solar energy among professionals in the housing community as well as the general public; (2) passive solar techniques can contribute significantly to the heating and cooling needs of residential housing throughout the state of Washington; (3) there is a great deal of interest and talent among the designers and builders of solar residences in Washington; and (4) follow-up activities, including the promotion of winning designs, the systematic collection of performance data, and identification of the major obstacles confronting designers and builders of solar homes, are critical to the success of the program in achieving both its short-term and long-term goals.

Decentralised Solar Power at Homes

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

First page Back Continue Last page Overview Graphics. Decentralised Solar Power at Homes. Solar PV gives DC Power. But load is AC; Needs a DC-AC convertor. Now if we add a battery. Battery stores only DC. Require a AC-DC convertor for charging; Require a DC-AC convertor during discharging. For low power, each ...

Solar Energy Education. Home economics: student activities. Field test edition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1981-03-01

A view of solar energy from the standpoint of home economics is taken in this book of activities. Students are provided information on solar energy resources while performing these classroom activities. Instructions for the construction of a solar food dryer and a solar cooker are provided. Topics for study include window treatments, clothing, the history of solar energy, vitamins from the sun, and how to choose the correct solar home. (BCS)

IT savvy what top executives must know to go from pain to gain

CERN Document Server

Weill, Peter; Ross, Jeanne

2009-01-01

Digitization of business interactions and processes is advancing full bore. But in many organizations, returns from IT investments are flatlining, even as technology spending has skyrocketed. These challenges call for new levels of IT savvy: the ability of all managers-IT or non-IT-to transform their company's technology assets into operational efficiencies that boost margins. Companies with IT-savvy managers are 20 percent more profitable than their competitors. In IT Savvy, Peter Weill and Jeanne Ross-two of the world's foremost authorities on using IT in business-explain how non-IT executives can acquire this savvy. Concise and practical, the book describes the practices, competencies, and leadership skills non-IT managers need to succeed in the digital economy. You'll discover how to: -Define your firm's operating model-how IT can help you do business -Revamp your IT funding model to support your operating model -Build a digitized platform of business processes, IT systems, and data to execute on the mode...

Energy Conservation and Solar Retrofitting for Existing Buildings in Oregon: An Architectural Design Class Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Oregon Univ., Eugene. School of Architecture and Allied Arts.

Five privately owned homes and two university owned homes were examined by architecture students in order to formulate design alternatives to fit the houses with solar collection, storage, and control devices for supplementing domestic space and/or water heating. General principles advanced include why energy conservation and solar retrofitting…

A solar vehicle based on sustainable design concept

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taha, Z.; Sah, J.M.; Passarella, R.; Ghazilla, R.A.R.; Ahmad, N.; Jen, Y.H.; Khai, T.T.; Kassim, Z.; Hasanuddin, I.; Yunus, M. [Malaya Univ., Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). Faculty of Engineering, Centre for Product Design and Manufacture

2009-07-01

This paper described a newly constructed solar vehicle that was built specifically for the 2009 World Solar Challenge (WSC) using off-the-shelf parts. Researchers at the Centre for Product Design and Manufacture at the University of Malaya designed and built the solar car which uses solar energy to charge its batteries. Although the total investment for this sustainable product concept is small compared to other solar vehicles, the car's performance has met expectations. Most of the electrical and mechanical parts can be recycled and reused after the WSC event. The photovoltaic (PV) and maximum power point trackers (MPPT) can be re-used for home applications. The DC motor and the controller can be attached to a bicycle and the aluminium parts which make-up the main body structure can be recycled. The design will result in nearly zero waste. The study showed that the process of combining mechanical and electrical components is not an easy task, particularly at the design stage because of the specific characteristics and functions of the individual parts. This paper described how readily available, off-the-shelf mechanical and electrical components were integrated for the solar vehicle. The conceptual design and the performance of the prototype were also presented. 11 refs., 5 tabs., 11 figs.

Energy savings solutions: passive solar design in Iranian cold climate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nassehzadeh Tabriz, Shahram [Department of Architecture, Miyaneh Branch, Islamic Azad University (Iran, Islamic Republic of)], email: sh_nassehzadeh@m-iau.ac.ir; Mahdavi Tabatabaei Fard, Fariborz [SABAT TARH CO. (Iran, Islamic Republic of)], email: sabat_arc@yahoo.com; Aliyev, Fagan [International Eco-energy Academy (Azerbaijan)], email: ie_academy@yahoo.com

2011-07-01

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the cost of fuel gas, fuel oil and electricity and much thought has been given to the use of solar energy. Living in a solar heated house gives peace of mind and body and it makes good sense in mountainous regions. Severe winters in such regions make more energy for standard living activities in buildings necessary. This paper discusses passive solar building design as an energy saving solution. In this type of design, windows, walls and floors act as storage and distribution devices for solar energy in winter and deflect solar heat in summer. Passive solar design techniques influence the choice of building site, design and materials within the general framework of enriching the quality of life of the inhabitants. As a result, natural resources are saved and the environment is conserved for future generations. In conclusion, it is seen that passive design keeps a home cool and comfortable in summer and warm and cozy in winter with minimal heating and cooling requirements.

Solar Design Workbook

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Franta, G.; Baylin, F.; Crowther, R.; Dubin, F.; Grace, A., Griffith, J.W.; Holtz, M.; Kutscher, C.; Nordham, D.; Selkowitz, S.; Villecco, M.

1981-06-01

This Solar Design Workbook presents solar building design applications for commercial buildir^s. The book is divided into four sections. The first section describes the variety of solar applications in buildings including conservation aspects, solar fundamentals, passive systems, active systems, daylighting, and other solar options. Solar system design evaluation techniques including considerations for building energy requirements, passive systems, active systems, and economics are presented in Section II. The third section attempts to assist the designer in the building design process for energy conservation and solar applications including options and considerations for pre-design, design, and post-design phases. The information required for the solar design proee^ has not been fully developed at this time. Therefore, Section III is incomplete, but an overview of the considerations with some of the design proces elements is presented. Section IV illustrates ease studies that utilize solar applications in the building design.

Solar homebuilders program: getting builders to build solar

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parkin, B.; Allen, D.

1981-01-01

The homebuilding industry can open the way to wide-scale residential use of solar energy. Under the Northwest Power Act, the Department of Energy's Bonneville Power Administration, Western Solar Utilization Network and the Solar Energy Research Institute are working together with the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland and the Portland chapter of the American Institute of Architects on a program that will affect 7 cities in the Pacific Northwest. Modeled after the successful Denver Metro Homebuilders Program, the project is being implemented in 3 cities in 1981 and three additional cities in 1982. In each of the 7 cities builders and developers will be provided with design, performance monitoring and marketing assistance for constructing passive solar prototypes. The result is ten passive solar homes of superior design and of an affordable price in each city. The secondary result of this program is expected to be a total of 2700 solar homes produced outside the program by builders from 1981-1985. Builders influenced to build passive solar homes outside the program could result in as many as 500,000 homes produced by the year 2000.

Heating homes and water with the sun. Solar thermal solutions adapted to individual homes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bareau, Helene; Juniere, Olivier; Leplay, Camille

2016-09-01

This brochure, edited by ADEME, the French office for energy management and sustainable development, gives a basic outlook of the way to complete the installation of a solar space and hot water heating system in an individual home. After some recall of the key points to be considered before taking the decision to invest in a solar heating system (minimum surface, orientation, etc.) and the main administrative procedures to be respected (in France), this document presents the common individual solar water heating system (which is now reliable and robust), its various equipment and operating principles, the dimensioning of the system, gives recommendations on points such as the panel position and orientation, the risk of overheating and the way to avoid it, etc. It also presents combined solar heating solutions that simultaneously heat water and space, their operating principles and the way to complete their installation for a home. Informations on financing, selection of the equipment and the installer, and installation maintenance are also proposed

Innovative Sustainable Water Management Practices in Solar Residential Design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Jason Mabry

2012-11-01

Full Text Available This paper communicates the results of an architectural research project which sought innovative design strategies for achieving energy and resource efficiencies in water management systems traditionally used in single-family housing. It describes the engineering of an efficient, multifaceted, and fully integrated water management system for a domesticenvironment of 800 sq. ft., entirely powered by solar energy. The four innovations whose details are conveyed include the use of alternate materials for piping distribution and collection, the use of water in solar energy generation, the design of a building skin which capitalizes on water’s capacity to store heat as well as the design of a ecological groundscape which re-usesand filters waste water and rain water.Keywords: energy, plumbing, home design

Solar installer training: Home Builders Institute Job Corps

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hansen, K.; Mann, R. [San Diego Job Corps Center, Imperial Beach, CA (United States). Home Builders Inst.

1996-10-01

The instructors describe the solar installation training program operated since 1979 by the Home Builders Institute, the Educational Arm of the National Association of Home Builders for the US Department of Labor, Job Corps in San Diego, CA. The authors are the original instructors and have developed the program since its inception by a co-operative effort between the Solar Energy Industries Association, NAHB and US DOL. Case studies of a few of the 605 students who have gone to work over the years after the training are included. It is one of the most successful programs under the elaborate Student Performance Monitoring Information System used by all Job Corps programs. Job Corps is a federally funded residential job training program for low income persons 16--24 years of age. Discussion details the curriculum and methods used in the program including classroom, shop and community service projects. Solar technologies including all types of hot water heating, swimming pool and spa as well as photovoltaics are included.

Quantifying Carbon and distributional benefits of solar home system programs in Bangladesh

OpenAIRE

Wang, Limin; Bandyopadhyay, Sushenjit; Cosgrove-Davies, Mac; Samad, Hussain

2011-01-01

Scaling-up adoption of renewable energy technology, such as solar home systems, to expand electricity access in developing countries can accelerate the transition to low-carbon economic development. Using a purposely collected national household survey, this study quantifies the carbon and distributional benefits of solar home system programs in Bangladesh. Three key findings are generated...

Solar heating and cooling of mobile homes, Phase II. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jacobsen, A.A.

1976-12-01

The specific objectives of the Phase II program were: (1) through system testing, confirm the feasibility of a solar heated and cooled mobile home; (2) update system performance analysis and provide solar heating and cooling computer model verification; (3) evaluate the performance of both an absorption and a Rankine air conditioning system; (4) perform a consumer demand analysis through field survey to ascertain the acceptance of solar energy into the mobile home market; and (5) while at field locations to conduct the consumer demand analysis, gather test data from various U.S. climatic zones. Results are presented and discussed. (WHK)

Solar Schematic

Science.gov (United States)

1979-01-01

The home shown at right is specially designed to accommodate solar heating units; it has roof planes in four directions, allowing placement of solar collectors for best exposure to the sun. Plans (bottom) and complete working blueprints for the solar-heated house are being marketed by Home Building Plan Service, Portland, Oregon. The company also offers an inexpensive schematic (center) showing how a homeowner only moderately skilled in the use of tools can build his own solar energy system, applicable to new or existing structures. The schematic is based upon the design of a low-cost solar home heating system built and tested by NASA's Langley Research Center; used to supplement a warm-air heating system, it can save the homeowner about 40 percent of his annual heating bill for a modest investment in materials and components. Home Building Plan Service saved considerable research time by obtaining a NASA technical report which details the Langley work. The resulting schematic includes construction plans and simplified explanations of solar heat collection, collectors and other components, passive heat factors, domestic hot water supply and how to work with local heating engineers.

Solar Energy Education. Home economics: teacher's guide. Field test edition. [Includes glossary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1981-06-01

An instructional aid is provided for home economics teachers who wish to integrate the subject of solar energy into their classroom activities. This teacher's guide was produced along with the student activities book for home economics by the US Department of Energy Solar Energy Education. A glossary of solar energy terms is included. (BCS)

Super Energy Efficiency Design (S.E.E.D.) Home Evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

German, A.; Dakin, B.; Backman, C.; Weitzel, E.; Springer, D.

2012-12-01

This report describes the results of evaluation by the Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI) Building America team of the 'Super Energy Efficient Design' (S.E.E.D) home, a 1,935 sq. ft., single-story spec home located in Tucson, AZ. This prototype design was developed with the goal of providing an exceptionally energy efficient yet affordable home and includes numerous aggressive energy features intended to significantly reduce heating and cooling loads such as structural insulated panel (SIP) walls and roof, high performance windows, an ERV, an air-to-water heat pump with mixed-mode radiant and forced air delivery, solar water heating, and rooftop PV. Source energy savings are estimated at 45% over the Building America B10 Benchmark. System commissioning, short term testing, long term monitoring and detailed analysis of results was conducted to identify the performance attributes and cost effectiveness of the whole house measure package.

Indirect Solar Water Heating in Single-Family, Zero Energy Ready Homes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aldrich, Robb [Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings, Norwalk, CT (United States)

2016-02-17

Solar water heating systems are not new, but they have not become prevalent in most of the U.S. Most of the country is cold enough that indirect solar thermal systems are required for freeze protection, and average installed cost of these systems is $9,000 to $10,000 for typical systems on single-family homes. These costs can vary significantly in different markets and with different contractors, and federal and regional incentives can reduce these up-front costs by 50% or more. In western Massachusetts, an affordable housing developer built a community of 20 homes with a goal of approaching zero net energy consumption. In addition to excellent thermal envelopes and PV systems, the developer installed a solar domestic water heating system (SDHW) on each home. The Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB), a research consortium funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Building America program, commissioned some of the systems, and CARB was able to monitor detailed performance of one system for 28 months.

Solar Decathlon 2015 - Indigo Pine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blouin, Vincent [Clemson Univ., SC (United States)

2016-05-30

The Solar Decathlon competition challenges students across the country to design and build a net-zero, market ready solar powered home. The bi-annual competition consists of ten contests that seek to balance the home on a scale of innovation. The ten contests were selected by to organizers to address all aspects of housing, including architecture, market appeal, engineering, communication, affordability, comfort, appliances, home life, commuting, and energy balance. Along with the criteria associated with the contests, the competition includes several design constraints that mirror those found in practical housing applications: including (but certainly not limited to) lot lines, building height, and ADA accessibility. The Solar Decathlon 2015 was held at the Orange Country Great Park in Irvine, CA. The 2015 competition was Clemson University’s first entry into the Solar Decathlon and was a notable milestone in the continued development of a home, called Indigo Pine. From the beginning, the team reconsidered the notion of sustainability as related to both the design of a home and the competition itself. The designing and building process for the home reflects a process which seamlessly moves between thinking and making to develop a comprehensive design with a method and innovations that challenge the conventions of residential construction. This report is a summary of the activities of the Clemson University team during the two-year duration of the project leading to the participation in the 2015 Solar Decathlon competition in Irvine California.

Technology Leadership Is Just Good Leadership: Dispositions of Tech Savvy Superintendents

Science.gov (United States)

Richardson, Jayson W.; McLeod, Scott; Sauers, Nick

2015-01-01

This study describes core dispositions of school district superintendents who have been identified as technology savvy leaders by a prominent educational technology newspaper. The superintendents in this study described how they accomplished their technology initiatives and offered suggestions for other superintendents who aspire to be more…

Marketing the solar suburb and beyond

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miller, C.

1999-07-01

New England Solar Homes is an emerging solar home company offering custom architectural services as well as a line of standard house plans to clients across the country. Their standard builder's sets can be used off the shelf or altered to fit varied climates and siting conditions. The Solar Farmhouse concept house was introduced at the Eco-Expo in 1995 as a demonstration of how an American country classic could be adapted and outfitted to be an advanced energy efficient passive and active solar home that would have immediate popular appeal. The inspiration for this design was based on the wisdom and surprisingly skillful design abilities of the American farmer, circa 1800s and onward. The Solonial became the first built demonstration home in Lexington, MA incorporating the energy performance standards of the Solar Farmhouse. Two other homes will start construction this spring--Solar Farmhouse II, and DC Solar I, in Pennsylvania and Maryland, respectively. The Beyond in the title refers to their interest in participating in the New Urbanism movement which is gaining momentum around the country in equal proportion to the loss of habitat from urban sprawl with its impact on quality of life indicators. Solar designers and developers could find some emerging opportunities with this highly unusual American attempt at regional planning.

Solar Energy: Uses for Your Home. The CIRcular: Consumer Information Report 15.

Science.gov (United States)

Bank of America NT & SA, San Francisco, CA.

This report defines active and passive solar energy systems, describes home uses for solar energy, and offers guidelines for choosing and installing a system. Much of the information is specific to the state of California. Uses for solar energy which are presented include passive space heating, passive cooling, active space heating, household…

Solar energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

This chapter discusses the role solar energy may have in the energy future of the US. The topics discussed in the chapter include the solar resource, solar architecture including passive solar design and solar collectors, solar-thermal concentrating systems including parabolic troughs and dishes and central receivers, photovoltaic cells including photovoltaic systems for home use, and environmental, health and safety issues

Capturing the Sun: A Roadmap for Navigating Data-Access Challenges and Auto-Populating Solar Home Sales Listings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stukel, Laura [Elevate Energy, Chicago, IL (United States); Hoen, Ben [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Adomatis, Sandra [Adomatis Appraisal Services, Punta Gorda, FL (United States); Foley, Craig [Sustainable Real Estate Consulting Services, Somerville, MA (United States); Parsons, Laura [Center for Sustainable Energy, San Diego, CA (United States); James, Mark [Vermont Law School, South Royalton, VT (United States). Inst. for Energy and Environment; Mastor, Roxana-Andreea [Vermont Law School, South Royalton, VT (United States). Inst. for Energy and Environment; Wedewer, Lindsey [Colorado Energy Office, Denver, CO (United States)

2017-04-13

Capturing the Sun: A Roadmap for Navigating Data-Access Challenges and Auto-Populating Solar Home Sales Listings supports a vision of solar photovoltaic (PV) advocates and real estate advocates evolving together to make information about solar homes more accessible to home buyers and sellers and to simplify the process when these homes are resold. The Roadmap is based on a concept in the real estate industry known as automatic population of fields. Auto-population (also called auto-pop in the industry) is the technology that allows data aggregated by an outside industry to be matched automatically with home sale listings in a multiple listing service (MLS).

Impact of gender and personality traits (BFI-10) on tech savviness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pavlicek, Antonin; Sudzina, Frantisek; Malinova, Ludmila

2017-01-01

Nowadays, it is necessary to use technology in various everyday activities. A certain level of what used to be called high-tech savviness is needed to access almost all modern services. The aim of this paper is to analyze if gender and personality traits (Big Five Inventory-10) influence self...

Socio-Cultural Dimensions of Cluster vs. Single Home Photovoltaic Solar Energy Systems in Rural Nepal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kimber Haddix McKay

2010-02-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes the socio-cultural dimensions of obstacles facing solar photovoltaic projects in two villages in rural Nepal. The study was conducted in Humla District, Nepal, one of the most remote and impoverished regions of the country. There are no roads in the district, homes lack running water and villagers’ health suffers from high levels of indoor air pollution from open cooking/heating fires and the smoky torches traditionally burned for light. The introduction of solar energy is important to these villagers, as it removes one major source of indoor air pollution from homes and provides brighter light than the traditional torches. Solar energy is preferable in many villages in the region due to the lack of suitable streams or rivers for micro-hydroelectric projects. In the villages under study in this paper, in-home solar electricity is a novel and recent innovation, and was installed within the last three years in two different geo-spatial styles, depending upon the configuration of homes in the village. In some villages, houses are grouped together, while in others households are widely dispersed. In the former, solar photovoltaic systems were installed in a “cluster” fashion with multiple homes utilizing power from a central battery store under the control of the householder storing the battery bank. In villages with widely spaced households, a single home system was used so that each home had a separate solar photovoltaic array, wiring system and battery bank. It became clear that the cluster system was the sensible choice due to the geographic layout of certain villages, but this put people into management groups that did not always work well due to caste or other differences. This paper describes the two systems and their management and usage costs and benefits from the perspective of the villagers themselves.

Super Energy Efficient Design (S.E.E.D.) Home Evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

German, A. [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI), Davis, CA (United States); Dakin, B. [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI), Davis, CA (United States); Backman, C. [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI), Davis, CA (United States); Weitzel, E. [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI), Davis, CA (United States); Springer, D. [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI), Davis, CA (United States)

2012-12-01

This report describes the results of evaluation by the Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI) Building America team of the “Super Energy Efficient Design” (S.E.E.D) home, a 1,935 sq. ft., single-story spec home located in Tucson, AZ. This prototype design was developed with the goal of providing an exceptionally energy efficient yet affordable home and includes numerous aggressive energy features intended to significantly reduce heating and cooling loads such as structural insulated panel (SIP) walls and roof, high performance windows, an ERV, an air-to-water heat pump with mixed-mode radiant and forced air delivery, solar water heating, and rooftop PV. Source energy savings are estimated at 45% over the Building America B10 Benchmark. System commissioning, short term testing, long term monitoring and detailed analysis of results was conducted to identify the performance attributes and cost effectiveness of the whole house measure package.

Human-centered design and smart homes : How to study and design for the home experience?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eggen, J.H.; van den Hoven, E.A.W.H; Terken, J.M.B.; van Hoof, J.; Demiris, G.; Wouters, E.J.M.

2016-01-01

The focus of this chapter is on designing for smart homes. The perspective will be user-driven design research. The chapter starts with a context analysis of the home environment. This analysis shows that, from a user perspective, home is about emotions and not about the physical house with all its

Two energy storage alternatives for a solar-powered sustainable single floor desert home

KAUST Repository

Serag-Eldin, M. A.

2010-09-30

This paper is concerned with the thermodynamic analysis of a totally solarpowered desert home. The home is air-conditioned and provides all modern comforts and facilities. It features closely spaced, roof mounted photovoltaic modules, which collect the solar energy driving the whole energy system. During the day time, the modules form an elevated horizontal surface above the roof, shielding it from direct solar radiation. After sunset, the photovoltaic modules are flipped vertically upwards to expose the roof to the sky, thus enhancing night-time cooling. Two methods of energy storage are proposed and compared, one using solely battery storage of electrical output, and the other employing a combination of cold water storage and battery storage. The analysis is based on detailed dynamic heat transfer calculations for the entire building envelope, coupled with a solar radiation model, and followed by energy balances. The results reveal that indeed it is feasible to employ solar energy as the only source of energy to power the home, and that each storage system has its own merits and shortcomings. © 2010 WIT Press.

Sizing solar home systems for optimal development impact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bond, M.; Fuller, R.J.; Aye, Lu

2012-01-01

The paper compares the development impact of three different sized solar home systems (SHS) (10, 40 and 80 W p ) installed in rural East Timor. It describes research aimed to determine whether the higher cost of the larger systems was justified by additional household benefits. To assess the development impact of these different sizes of SHS the research used a combination of participatory and quantitative tools. Participatory exercises were conducted with seventy-seven small groups of SHS users in twenty-four rural communities and supplemented with a household survey of 195 SHS users. The combined results of these evaluation processes enabled the three sizes of SHS to be compared for two types of benefits—those associated with carrying out important household tasks and attributes of SHS which were advantageous compared to the use of non-electric lighting sources. The research findings showed that the small, 10 W p SHS provided much of the development impact of the larger systems. It suggests three significant implications for the design of SHS programs in contexts such as East Timor: provide more small systems rather than fewer large ones; provide lighting in the kitchen wherever possible; and carefully match SHS operating costs to the incomes of rural users. - Highlights: ► We compare development benefits for 3 sizes of solar home systems—10, 40 and 80 W p . ► Benefit assessment uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches. ► Small systems are found to provide much of the benefits of the larger systems. ► To maximise benefits systems should be fitted with luminaires in kitchen areas. ► Financial benefits are important to users and may not accrue for large systems.

Advanced Solar Panel Designs

Science.gov (United States)

Ralph, E. L.; Linder, E. B.

1995-01-01

Solar panel designs that utilize new high-efficiency solar cells and lightweight rigid panel technologies are described. The resulting designs increase the specific power (W/kg) achievable in the near-term and are well suited to meet the demands of higher performance small satellites (smallsats). Advanced solar panel designs have been developed and demonstrated on two NASA SBIR contracts at Applied Solar. The first used 19% efficient, large area (5.5 cm x 6.5 cm) GaAs/Ge solar cells with a lightweight rigid graphite epoxy isogrid substrate configuration. A 1,445 sq cm coupon was fabricated and tested to demonstrate 60 W/kg with a high potential of achieving 80 W/kg. The second panel design used new 22% efficiency, dual-junction GaInP2/GaAs/Ge solar cells combined with a lightweight aluminum core/graphite fiber mesh facesheet substrate. A 1,445 sq cm coupon was fabricated and tested to demonstrate 105 W/kg with the potential of achieving 115 W/kg.

Gender and personality traits' (BFI-10) effect on self-perceived tech savviness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olexova, Cecilia; Kirchner, Kathrin; Sudzina, Frantisek

2017-01-01

Today's students are considered as digital natives that grew up digitally. They use smartphones and services like social media on a regular basis. The aim of this paper is to analyze if gender and personality traits (Big Five Inventory-10) influence self-perceived tech savviness of Slovak business...

Preliminary design package for solar collector and solar pump

Science.gov (United States)

1978-01-01

A solar-operated pump using an existing solar collector, for use on solar heating and cooling and hot water systems is described. Preliminary design criteria of the collector and solar-powered pump is given including: design drawings, verification plans, and hazard analysis.

Do gender and personality traits (BFI-10) influence self-perceived tech savviness?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sudzina, Frantisek

2015-01-01

Nowadays, it is necessary to use technology in various everyday activities. A certain level of what used to be called high-tech savviness is needed to access certain services. The aim of this paper is to analyze if gender and personality traits (Big Five Inventory-10) influence self-perceived tech...

Financing of Solar Home Systems (SHS); Finanzierung von Solar Home Systemen. Erfahrungen aus der Praxis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adelmann, P.; Rimpler, G.; Zimmermann, A. [Phocos AG, Ulm (Germany)

2005-07-01

In many cases Solar Systems are the cheapest option for rural electrification. Often the users spend every month a quite high amount of money for dry cell batteries, kerosene and candles to supply a radio or to have light. Problem is that the users can spend a certain amount every month, but they are not able to have the necessary investment for a SHS at one. Financing would be requires. There are different ways to finance the solar home systems. In some cases the user has to pay a fee for the service. In these cases the investor is the owner of the system. In other cases a microcredit is given to the user. His then the owner of the system and responsible for any losses in the system. An interesting model is a battery charging station. In this model it is possible for the user to become step by step owner of a solar system. Conclusion. Fee for service systems did not perform perfectly. Main reason is the missing responsibility of the user for any damage. Microcredits did perform well in several places in Asia. A interesting option for the future are battery charging stations. This model hashighest flexibility in financing. It can be adopted at any moment to the abilities of the user. (orig.)

Solar Systems

Science.gov (United States)

1979-01-01

The solar collectors shown are elements of domestic solar hot water systems produced by Solar One Ltd., Virginia Beach, Virginia. Design of these systems benefited from technical expertise provided Solar One by NASA's Langley Research Center. The company obtained a NASA technical support package describing the d e sign and operation of solar heating equipment in NASA's Tech House, a demonstration project in which aerospace and commercial building technology are combined in an energy- efficient home. Solar One received further assistance through personal contact with Langley solar experts. The company reports that the technical information provided by NASA influenced Solar One's panel design, its selection of a long-life panel coating which increases solar collection efficiency, and the method adopted for protecting solar collectors from freezing conditions.

Passive solar ranch house for the mass market

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Albanes, M.N.

1981-01-01

To promote the building of passive solar housing in the Denver metropolitan area, a solar ranch style house was designed for a builder, Unique Homes, as part of a group of thirteen passive solar houses built for the mass market under SERI's Denver Metro Home Builders Program. The project, process of design, thermal performance analysis, cost and consumer/media response are reviewed. The final design was a direct gain, attached greenhouse system that used brick as interior mass.

Wisdom Way Solar Village: Design, Construction, and Analysis of a Low Energy Community

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aldrich, R.

2012-08-01

This report describes work conducted at the Wisdom Way Solar Village (WWSV), a community of 10 high performance duplexes (20 homes) in Greenfield, MA, constructed by Rural Development, Inc. (RDI). Building America's CARB team monitored temperatures and comfort in several homes during the winter of 2009-2010, and tracked utility bill information from 13 occupied homes. Because of efficient lights, appliances, and conscientious home occupants, the energy generated by the solar electric systems exceeded the electric energy used in most homes.

Role of Solar Water Heating in Multifamily Zero Energy Homes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aldrich, Robb [Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings, Norwalk, CT (United States); Williamson, James [Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings, Norwalk, CT (United States)

2016-04-08

Solar domestic hot water (SDHW) systems have been installed on buildings for decades, but because of relatively high costs they have not achieved significant market penetration in most of the country. As more buildings move towards zero net energy consumption, however, many designers and developers are looking more closely at SDHW. In multifamily buildings especially, SDHW may be more practical for several reasons: 1) When designing for zero net energy consumption, solar water heating may be part of the lowest cost approach to meet water heating loads; 2) Because of better scale, SDHW systems in multifamily buildings cost significantly less per dwelling than in single-family homes; 3) Many low-load buildings are moving away from fossil fuels entirely. SDHW savings are substantially greater when displacing electric resistance water heating; and 4) In addition to federal tax incentives, some states have substantial financial incentives that dramatically reduce the costs (or increase the benefits) of SDHW systems in multifamily buildings. With support from the U.S. DOE Building America program, the Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB) worked with a developer in western Massachusetts to evaluate a SDHW system on a 12-unit apartment building. Olive Street Development completed construction in spring of 2014, and CARB has been monitoring performance of the water heating systems since May 2014.

Commercial dissemination approaches for solar home systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Terrado, E.

1997-12-01

The author discusses the issue of providing solar home systems to primarily rural areas from the perspective of how to commercialize the process. He considers two different approaches, one an open market approach and the other an exclusive market approach. He describes examples of the exclusive market approach which are in process in Argentina and Brazil. Coming from a banking background, the business aspects are discussed in detail. He points out the strengths and weaknesses of both approaches toward developing such systems.

Solar radon reduction at six homes in northeast Iowa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rhoads, H.E.; Hoekje, P.L.

1995-01-01

Growing concern about radon lung cancer risks, carbon monoxide poisoning, and the sick building syndrome have increased demand for improved indoor air quality. Through solar pre-heating of ventilation air, the Solar Radon Reduction System (SRRS) provides energy benefits with lower installation costs than conventional air-to-air heat exchangers and sub-slab suction approaches. Indoor air quality is improved through dilution, combustion appliance make-up air, pressurization, and reduced radon infiltration through induced-draft solar air collectors drawing supply air from outdoors. Installed at six homes in Waterloo and Cedar Falls, Iowa, the SRRS was found to significantly reduce radon concentrations in all houses with energy benefits and improved overall indoor comfort. Up to 73% reductions from closed house levels as high as 20.9 pCi/L were achieved

Home Automation : Smart home technology and template house design

OpenAIRE

Zheng, Zeya

2013-01-01

In this thesis, home automation’s general knowledge, technology information and each component will be introduced to the reader in the first half of the whole thesis. In the second half, thesis includes the Home Automation template design and market competitiveness analysis. The author assumes that the reader is going to spend lots of money to have a smart home. In this situation, the author introduces the home automation to the reader at each component. So the reader in this thesis actu...

A CONCEPT OF SOLAR TRACKER SYSTEM DESIGN

OpenAIRE

Meita Rumbayan *, Muhamad Dwisnanto Putro

2017-01-01

Improvement of solar panel efficiency is an ongoing research work recently. Maximizing the output power by integrating with the solar tracker system becomes a interest point of the research. This paper presents the concept in designing a solar tracker system applied to solar panel. The development of solar panel tracker system design that consist of system display prototype design, hardware design, and algorithm design. This concept is useful as the control system for solar tracker to improve...

Solar lanterns or solar home lighting systems - Community preferences in East Timor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bond, M.; Aye, Lu; Fuller, R.J. [Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Group, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010 (Australia)

2010-05-15

Access to electrification in rural areas of East Timor is extremely limited with as few as 5% of rural households connected to electricity. The government of East Timor intends to increase rural access to electricity significantly in the coming decade. The introduction of small PV systems is envisaged for many households in the most remote areas. Several agencies have piloted the introduction of small solar home systems (SHS) and solar lanterns. In the Railaco sub-district of East Timor, some 1000 households have experience of using either SHS and/or solar lanterns and are in a unique position to indicate a preference regarding these forms of PV lighting technology. This paper reports on a survey of 76 households in Railaco investigating experience with PV lighting systems. Results of the survey indicate a strong preference by users for SHS rather than lanterns. The preference for SHS arose from a range of factors including: a perception of better light quality; ability to illuminate the whole house; reduced risk of damage to the PV equipment; and longer duration of nightly operation. The research indicates that where a single PV lighting system is provided, users are likely to prefer SHS to solar lanterns. (author)

Indirect Solar Water Heating in Single-Family, Zero Energy Ready Homes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aldrich, Robb [Steven Winters Associates, Inc., Norwalk, CT (United States)

2016-02-01

In western Massachusetts, an affordable housing developer built a community of 20 homes with the goal of approaching zero energy consumption. In addition to excellent thermal envelopes and photovoltaic systems, the developer installed a solar domestic hot water (SDHW) system on each home. The Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB), a U.S. Department of Energy Building America research team, commissioned some of the systems, and CARB was able to monitor detailed performance of one system for 28 months.

Solar Decathlon 2005: The Event in Review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moon, S.; Nahan, R.; Warner, C.; Wassmer, M.

2006-06-01

Solar Decathlon 2005: The Event in Review is a technical report describing the 2005 Solar Decathlon, an event sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy wherein 18 collegiate teams competed in 10 contests to design, build, and operate an attractive, efficient, entirely solar-powered home. The report gives an overview of the competition, including final results, team strategies, and detailed descriptions the 18 homes.

Quality issues in the market based dissemination of solar home systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lindner, Klara [MicroEnergy International, Berlin (Germany)

2011-07-01

In general, Photovoltaic systems are built to last and require little maintenance. However, field studies have revealed a high number of system failures, which are linked to a lack of quality assurance. This paper depicts problems that occur with solar home systems (SHS) disseminated on a market-based approach. The research methodology is based on three pillars: A literature review covers documented projects around the world dealing with solar home system dissemination. Expert practitioners drawn together in a workshop have shared valuable experiences, while a trip to rural Tanzania has been carried out to collect personal insights from the field. To facilitate continuous sharing of challenges between different stakeholders, common quality issues are grouped into four categories according to their cause: component quality, system integration, business model and framework conditions. While the solar component and the user are often initially blamed for system failure, it shows that difficulties arise at various levels of the SHS life cycle - this paper highlights focus problems within each stage. As a root, three underlying challenges are suggested: maladjusted systems, inadequate installations and a disorganized after-sales service. A possible instrument to assure better quality in this context is the enforcement of standards also in market-based SHS sales. Microfinance institutions are assumed as an important partner, because only clients with a functioning system are willing to repay the linked loan. As most of these institutions lack technical knowledge, they can only become an agent for their clients' wish for customer protection, if an independent facility certifies the system's functionality. The given recommendation is that a sustainable approach for solar home system dissemination should not attempt to increase the affordability by developing cheaper products but by fostering income-generating activities, which facilitate paying for good quality

STI/DOE Solar decathlon- Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Washington, Gregory [Univ. of California, Irvine, CA (United States)

2016-04-14

Team Orange successfully designed and constructed a house driven by new design concepts and technical innovations that harmonize with Southern California’s lifestyle and respect its cultural heritage. The basic elements of our 2015 proposal can be summarized as follows: Increased emphasis on the passive solar design concept, with a visually stimulating design that enhances the Southern California lifestyle; Use of design and construction techniques to create a market-ready home for an efficient and affordable lifestyle; Integrated use of new technology to create a behavior-adaptive smart home; A zero net energy house complying with the Living Building philosophy; and compliance with all DOE Solar Decathlon requirements.

An open-source optimization tool for solar home systems: A case study in Namibia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campana, Pietro Elia; Holmberg, Aksel; Pettersson, Oscar; Klintenberg, Patrik; Hangula, Abraham; Araoz, Fabian Benavente; Zhang, Yang; Stridh, Bengt; Yan, Jinyue

2016-01-01

Highlights: • An open-source optimization tool for solar home systems (SHSs) design is developed. • The optimization tool is written in MS Excel-VBA. • The optimization tool is validated with a commercial and open-source software. • The optimization tool has the potential of improving future SHS installations. - Abstract: Solar home systems (SHSs) represent a viable technical solution for providing electricity to households and improving standard of living conditions in areas not reached by the national grid or local grids. For this reason, several rural electrification programmes in developing countries, including Namibia, have been relying on SHSs to electrify rural off-grid communities. However, the limited technical know-how of service providers, often resulting in over- or under-sized SHSs, is an issue that has to be solved to avoid dissatisfaction of SHSs’ users. The solution presented here is to develop an open-source software that service providers can use to optimally design SHSs components based on the specific electricity requirements of the end-user. The aim of this study is to develop and validate an optimization model written in MS Excel-VBA which calculates the optimal SHSs components capacities guaranteeing the minimum costs and the maximum system reliability. The results obtained with the developed tool showed good agreement with a commercial software and a computational code used in research activities. When applying the developed optimization tool to existing systems, the results identified that several components were incorrectly sized. The tool has thus the potentials of improving future SHSs installations, contributing to increasing satisfaction of end-users.

Design of a Stand-Alone Photovoltaic Model for Home Lightings and Clean Environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ani, Vincent Anayochukwu, E-mail: vincent_ani@yahoo.com [Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (Nigeria)

2016-01-11

This paper gives a well-documented health risk of fuel-based lighting (kerosene lamps and fuel-powered generators) and proposed a design of a stand-alone solar PV system for sustainable home lightings in rural Nigerian area. The design was done in three different patterns of electricity consumptions with energy efficient lightings (EELs) using two different battery types (Rolls Surrette 6CS25PS and Hoppecke 10 OpzS 1000) on; (i) judicious power consumption, (ii) normal power consumption, and (iii) excess power consumption; and compared them with the incandescent light bulb consumption. The stand-alone photovoltaic energy systems were designed to match the rural Nigerian sunlight and weather conditions to meet the required lightings of the household. The objective function and constraints for the design models were formulated and optimization procedures were used to demonstrate the best solution (reliability at the lowest lifecycle cost). Initial capital costs as well as annualized costs over 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years were quantified and documented. The design identified the most cost-effective and reliable solar and battery array among the patterns of electricity consumption with EEL options (judicious power consumption, normal power consumption, and excess power consumption).

Design of a Stand-Alone Photovoltaic Model for Home Lightings and Clean Environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ani, Vincent Anayochukwu

2016-01-01

This paper gives a well-documented health risk of fuel-based lighting (kerosene lamps and fuel-powered generators) and proposed a design of a stand-alone solar PV system for sustainable home lightings in rural Nigerian area. The design was done in three different patterns of electricity consumptions with energy efficient lightings (EELs) using two different battery types (Rolls Surrette 6CS25PS and Hoppecke 10 OpzS 1000) on; (i) judicious power consumption, (ii) normal power consumption, and (iii) excess power consumption; and compared them with the incandescent light bulb consumption. The stand-alone photovoltaic energy systems were designed to match the rural Nigerian sunlight and weather conditions to meet the required lightings of the household. The objective function and constraints for the design models were formulated and optimization procedures were used to demonstrate the best solution (reliability at the lowest lifecycle cost). Initial capital costs as well as annualized costs over 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years were quantified and documented. The design identified the most cost-effective and reliable solar and battery array among the patterns of electricity consumption with EEL options (judicious power consumption, normal power consumption, and excess power consumption).

Advanced solar panel designs

Science.gov (United States)

Ralph, E. L.; Linder, E.

1995-01-01

This paper describes solar cell panel designs that utilize new hgih efficiency solar cells along with lightweight rigid panel technology. The resulting designs push the W/kg and W/sq m parameters to new high levels. These new designs are well suited to meet the demand for higher performance small satellites. This paper reports on progress made on two SBIR Phase 1 contracts. One panel design involved the use of large area (5.5 cm x 6.5 cm) GaAs/Ge solar cells of 19% efficiency combined with a lightweight rigid graphite fiber epoxy isogrid substrate configuration. A coupon (38 cm x 38 cm) was fabricated and tested which demonstrated an array specific power level of 60 W/kg with a potential of reaching 80 W/kg. The second panel design involved the use of newly developed high efficiency (22%) dual junction GaInP2/GaAs/Ge solar cells combined with an advanced lightweight rigid substrate using aluminum honeycomb core with high strength graphite fiber mesh facesheets. A coupon (38 cm x 38 cm) was fabricated and tested which demonstrated an array specific power of 105 W/kg and 230 W/sq m. This paper will address the construction details of the panels and an a analysis of the component weights. A strawman array design suitable for a typical small-sat mission is described for each of the two panel design technologies being studied. Benefits in respect to weight reduction, area reduction, and system cost reduction are analyzed and compared to conventional arrays.

The Nest Home

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pickerill, Heath [Missouri Univ. of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO (United States)

2016-07-11

The purpose of the project was to build a competitive solar-powered house for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 held in Irvine, California. The house, named the Nest Home, was an innovative design that works with the environment to meet the needs of the occupants, identified as a growing family. Reused materials were instrumental in the design. Three refurbished shipping containers composed the primary structure of the house, creating an open floor plan that defies common architecture for container homes. The exterior siding was made of deconstructed shipping pallets collected locally. Other recycled products included carpet composed of discarded fishing nets, denim batting made of recycled blue jeans that outperform traditional fiberglass insulation in sound proofing and thermal resistance, and kitchen cabinets that were purchased used and refinished. Collectively these elements formed a well-balanced blend of modern design, comfort, and sustainability. The house was Missouri University of Science and Technology’s sixth entry in the DOE Solar Decathlon. Missouri S&T has been invited to compete in six of the seven decathlons held, more than any other university worldwide. The house was brought back to Rolla after the Decathlon in California where it has been placed in its permanent location on the S&T campus.

Monitoring and evaluation of Solar Home Systems. Experiences with applications of solar PV for households in developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nieuwenhout, F.D.J.; Van Dijk, A.; Van Dijk, V.A.P.; Hirsch, D.; Lasschuit, P.E.; Van Roekel, G.; Arriaza, H.; Hankins, M.; Sharma, B.D.; Wade, H.

2000-09-01

Solar energy is a promising solution to meet demand for electricity services of rural households in remote locations in developing countries. After some early successes, more and more doubts have arisen about the effectiveness and suitability of small PV systems for rural development. Many organisational, financial and technical problems appear difficult to tackle. A literature survey has been conducted to make an inventory of experiences with solar photovoltaic applications for households in developing countries. The major conclusion from the extensive literature research performed during this study is that there is not enough information available about the performance of solar home systems and projects. This slows down further development and successful dissemination. refs

Solar hydrogen project - Thermochemical process design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allen, D.J.; Ng, L.F.; Rao, M.S.M.; Wu, S.F.; Zoschak, R.J.

1984-08-01

The thermochemical decomposition of water using solar energy offers an elegant way of combining solar and chemical technologies to produce a high quality fuel. The DOE has sponsored Foster Wheeler to develop a process design for a solar water-splitting process based on the sulfuric acid/iodine cycle. The study has centered around the design of a sulfuric acid decomposition reactor and the central receiver. Materials' properties impose severe constraints upon the design of decomposition reactor. In this paper, the constraints imposed on the design are specified and a reactor and receiver design is presented together with a preliminary design of the balance of plant.

Passive solar offices: integrated design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Evans, B

1992-05-06

Passive solar design in out-of-town offices can remove the need for air-conditioning by making greater use of daylight and natural ventilation. To promote the use of passive solar energy a series of design studies are being run by the Energy Technology Support Unit on behalf of the Department of Energy. The three reported here are designs for out-of-town business buildings. Each is a hypothetical building designed to a realistic brief for an organisation taking the role of real client. (author).

Solar Water-Heater Design Package

Science.gov (United States)

1982-01-01

Information on a solar domestic-hot water heater is contained in 146 page design package. System consists of solar collector, storage tanks, automatic control circuitry and auxiliary heater. Data-acquisition equipment at sites monitors day-by-day performance. Includes performance specifications, schematics, solar-collector drawings and drawings of control parts.

Design of nursing homes of the future

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Joost van Hoof

2014-01-01

Purpose There is an increasing call in society for improvementof the well-being of nursing home residents and support of health care professionals through a wide array of architectural and technological solutions that are available in modern nursing homes. The design of nursing home facilities calls

Solar-based rural electrification policy design: The Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO) model in Fiji

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dornan, M. [Resource Management in Asia-Pacific Program, The Crawford School of Economics and Government, The Australian National University, Acton ACT 2601 (Australia)

2011-02-15

Solar photovoltaic technologies have for some time been promoted as a cost effective means of rural electrification in developing countries. However, institutional structures resulting in poor maintenance have adversely affected the sustainability of past solar projects. In Fiji, the Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO) program is the latest attempt to promote solar-based rural electrification in a fee-for-service model, aiming to remove the high upfront capital costs associated with solar technologies and using a public-private sector partnership for maintenance. This paper assesses the program using survey and interview data. Major flaws are identified, relating to incorrect treatment of principal-agent problems, information asymmetries, motivational problems, and resourcing of government agencies. General lessons for fee-for-service solar home system models emerge, including that incentives for stakeholders must take centre stage in designing and administering such programs, and that active government support and ownership are required to make programs sustainable. (author)

Experience with solar home systems in developing countries. A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nieuwenhout, F.D.J.; Van Dijk, A.L.; Lasschuit, P.E.; Van Roekel, G.M.; Van Dijk, V.A.P.; Hirsch, D.; Arriaza, H.; Hankins, M.; Sharma, B.D.; Wade, H.

2002-01-01

Solar Energy is widely perceived as a promising technology for electricity generation in remote locations in developing countries. It is estimated that 1.3 million solar home systems had been installed by early 2000. An estimated one-third of installed systems were backed by foreign donor support in government programmes and two-thirds supplied by commercial dealers. The estimated growth in the deployment of solar lanterns is less than for SHS. One out of every 100 households that gain access to electricity in developing countries uses solar power. In spite of these successes, doubts have arisen about the effectiveness and suitability of small PV systems for rural development. Many organisational, financial and technical problems appear to present difficulties. A literature survey has been conducted to make an inventory of experience with solar PV applications for households in developing countries. The main finding is that an adequate service infrastructure is required to make projects viable. Household choice in system sizes is often too restricted in donor-funded projects. Smaller systems sold for cash can be a good alternative to credit systems by offering to increased affordability. Gaps in existing knowledge have been identified, which could be overcome by field monitoring programmes. 77 refs

Strapdown Homing Guidance System Design for Some Ammunition

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2006-01-01

The strapdown homing guidance system for some ammunition was mainly studied. A strong tracking Kalman filter was designed for the strapdown homing guidance system using the information measured by the strapdown homing seeker to estimate relative movement variables between the ammunition and target. Then the optimal proportional law, which using the estimated information, guided the ammunition. Simulation results show that the designed strapdown homing guidance system with strong tracking Kalman filter can attack the maneuvering target effectively, and satisfy the performance index for the guided ammunition system.

DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Case Study: Amaris Custom Homes, St. Paul, Minnesota

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2015-06-01

For this project, Amaris worked with U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) team, NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership, to develop the first Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) in Minnesota's cold climate using reasonable, cost-effective, and replicable construction materials and practices. The result is a passive solar, super-efficient 3542-ft2 walkout ranch-style home with all the creature comforts. Along with meeting ZERH standards, Amaris also achieved certifications for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design for Homes v4, MN Green Path Emerald, and a Builders Association of the Twin Cities Reggie Award of Excellence. The home achieves a HERS score of 41 without photovoltaics; with PV, the home achieves a HERS score of 5.

Design consideration of solar powered cars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koten, Hasan; Yilmaz, Mustafa; Zafer Gul, M. [Marmara University Mechanical Engineering Department (Turkey)], E-mail: hasan.koten@marmara.edu.tr

2011-07-01

With the coming shortage of fossil fuels and the rising concerns over the environment, it is important to develop new technologies that reduce both energy consumption and pollution at the same time. Using solar energy is a good solution which could meet the world's energy needs. The aim of this study is to present the design process in the production of a solar powered car. Designing a solar powered car is a difficult task as there are strict requirements in term of efficiency: the car must have low drag resistance, be light-weight, and have low rolling resistance. In addition this paper presents the use of the solar powered Stirling engine technology rather than a photovoltaic conversion system for vehicle propulsion. This study presented a design process in the construction of a solar powered car and is expected to provide a new topic of research in the transportation field.

On the Design of Smart Homes: A Framework for Activity Recognition in Home Environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Cicirelli, Franco; Fortino, Giancarlo; Giordano, Andrea; Guerrieri, Antonio; Spezzano, Giandomenico; Vinci, Andrea

2016-09-01

A smart home is a home environment enriched with sensing, actuation, communication and computation capabilities which permits to adapt it to inhabitants preferences and requirements. Establishing a proper strategy of actuation on the home environment can require complex computational tasks on the sensed data. This is the case of activity recognition, which consists in retrieving high-level knowledge about what occurs in the home environment and about the behaviour of the inhabitants. The inherent complexity of this application domain asks for tools able to properly support the design and implementation phases. This paper proposes a framework for the design and implementation of smart home applications focused on activity recognition in home environments. The framework mainly relies on the Cloud-assisted Agent-based Smart home Environment (CASE) architecture offering basic abstraction entities which easily allow to design and implement Smart Home applications. CASE is a three layered architecture which exploits the distributed multi-agent paradigm and the cloud technology for offering analytics services. Details about how to implement activity recognition onto the CASE architecture are supplied focusing on the low-level technological issues as well as the algorithms and the methodologies useful for the activity recognition. The effectiveness of the framework is shown through a case study consisting of a daily activity recognition of a person in a home environment.

Thermal analysis and design of passive solar buildings

CERN Document Server

Athienitis, AK

2013-01-01

Passive solar design techniques are becoming increasingly important in building design. This design reference book takes the building engineer or physicist step-by-step through the thermal analysis and design of passive solar buildings. In particular it emphasises two important topics: the maximum utilization of available solar energy and thermal storage, and the sizing of an appropriate auxiliary heating/cooling system in conjunction with good thermal control.Thermal Analysis and Design of Passive Solar Buildings is an important contribution towards the optimization of buildings as systems th

Study Of Lampungnese Traditional Home Garden Design

Science.gov (United States)

Pratiwi, R. A.; Gunawan

2017-10-01

Lampung is one area in Indonesia which has a traditional culture that comes from two groups of descents, they are ulun Lampung Pepadun and ulun Lampung Saibatin. Lampungnese traditional culture has been well-known by Indonesian people for its traditional dances, traditional clothing, or traditional home architecture. However, Lampungnese traditional home garden recently may not yet been described. Information related to Lampungnese traditional home garden is still very limited and it does not yet represented the culture based design concept. This research was directed to identify the elements of the home garden and map it into design concept of the Lampungnese traditional home garden based on information of Lampungnese traditional culture. The study was conducted by using descriptive approach through literature review, interviews and cultural exploration, as well as field observation. The study was able to identify the elements forming the Lampungnese traditional home garden, namely gakhang hadap, walai, outdoor kitchenette, firewood place, outdoor kitchen, livestock barns, as well as plants. Space layout of the home garden comprises front yard (tengahbah/terambah/beruan), side yard (kebik/kakebik), and backyard (kudan/juyu/kebon). Each element of the garden is located in the right place of the space layout.

Design of a Stand-Alone Photovoltaic (PV Models for Home Lightings and Clean Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincent Anayochukwu Ani

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper gives a well-documented health risks of fuel-based lighting (kerosene lamps and fuel-powered generators and proposed a design of a stand-alone solar PV system for sustainable home lightings in rural Nigerian area. The design was done in three different patterns of electricity consumptions with energy efficient lightings (EELs using two different battery types (Rolls Surrette 6CS25PS and hoppecke 10 OpzS 1000 on; i judicious power consumption, ii normal power consumption, iii excess power consumption; and compared them with the incandescent light bulb consumption. The stand-alone photovoltaic energy systems were designed to match the rural Nigerian sunlight and weather conditions to meet the required lightings of the household. The objective function and constraints for the design models were formulated and optimization procedure were used to demonstrate the best solution (reliability at the lowest lifecycle cost. Initial capital costs as well as annualized costs over 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years were quantified and documented. The design identified the most cost-effective and reliable solar and battery array among the patterns of electricity consumption with energy efficient lighting options (judicious power consumption, normal power consumption, and excess power consumption.

On the Path to Zero Energy Homes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Merrigan, T.

2001-03-30

Just imagine living in Florida and your fantasies might turn to swaying palms, fresh orange juice and lots of air-conditioning. For most people, a summer spent in Florida's heat and humidity would be unbearable without it. So air-conditioning is a necessity. But it's also a big energy drain, accounting for about 35% of all electricity used in a typical Florida house. As the largest single source of energy consumption in Florida, a home's air-conditioning load represents the biggest energy challenge. The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) designed a project to answer this challenge. Two homes were built with the same floor plan on near-by lots. The difference was that one (the ''control home'') conformed to local residential building practices, and the other (the ''Zero Energy home'') was designed with energy efficiency in mind and solar technology systems on the roof. The homes were then monitored carefully for energy use. The project's designers were looking to answer two important questions: Could a home in a climate such as central Florida's be engineered and built so efficiently that a relatively small PV system would serve the majority of its cooling needs--and even some of its daytime electrical needs? And, would that home be as comfortable and appealing as the conventional model built alongside it? The answer to both questions turned out to be a resounding yes. And the test was especially rigorous, because it was conducted in the summer of 1998--one of the hottest summers on record in Florida. This news is important for city planners, architects, builders, and homeowners not only in the Sunshine State, but elsewhere, too. The solar/energy efficiency combo worked so well in Florida that it can--and should--be tried in other parts of the country. This brochure describes the Zero Energy Homes concept using a case study.

Optimal integration of a hybrid solar-battery power source into smart home nanogrid with plug-in electric vehicle

OpenAIRE

Wu, Xiaohua; Hu, Xiaosong; Teng, Yanqiong; Qian, Shide; Cheng, Rui

2017-01-01

Hybrid solar-battery power source is essential in the nexus of plug-in electric vehicle (PEV), renewables, and smart building. This paper devises an optimization framework for efficient energy management and components sizing of a single smart home with home battery, PEV, and potovoltatic (PV) arrays. We seek to maximize the home economy, while satisfying home power demand and PEV driving. Based on the structure and system models of the smart home nanogrid, a convex programming (CP) problem i...

DOE Challenge Home Case Study: e2 Homes – Winter Park, Florida

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2013-01-01

This Challenge Home case study describes the first certified DOE Challenge Home as constructed by e2 Homes. Completed in May 2012, the “Wilson Residence” in Winter Park, Florida, is a 4,305-ft2 custom home that scores a HERS 57 without solar and a better than zero net-energy HERS -7 with solar.

Smart homes design, implementation and issues

CERN Document Server

Suryadevara, Nagender Kumar

2015-01-01

The book addresses issues towards the design and development of Wireless Sensor Network based Smart Home and fusion of Real-Time Data for Wellness Determination of an elderly person living alone in a Smart Home. The fundamentals of selection of sensor, fusion of sensor data, system design, modelling, characterizations, experimental investigations and analyses have been covered. This book will be extremely useful for the engineers and researchers especially higher undergraduate, postgraduate students as well as practitioners working on the development of Wireless Sensor Networks, Internet of Things and Data Mining.

Solar Decathlon: Collegiate Challenge to Build the Future; Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Warner, C.; King, R.; Nahan, R.; Eastment, M.

2002-05-01

A new collegiate competition, called the Solar Decathlon, is under way. Fourteen teams from colleges and universities across the United States, including Puerto Rico, will assemble on the National Mall in Washington, DC, in late September 2002. They will compete to capture, convert, store, and use enough solar energy to power small, solar-powered, energy-efficient homes that they have designed, built, and transported to the site. Solar Decathletes will be required to provide all the energy for an entire household, including a home-based business and the transportation needs of the household and business. During the event, only the solar energy available within the perimeter of each house may be used to generate the power needed to compete in the ten Solar Decathlon contests. The event is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and private-sector partners BP Solar, American Institute of Architects, Electronic Data Systems, and Home Depot.

Designing for Active Place Presence at Home

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ylirisku, Salu; Jylhä, Antti; Lehtiö, Anu

2016-01-01

Technological support for augmenting the relationship that people establish with remote places has been studied fairly little as the primary focus in telepresence studies is the connection between people. This paper addresses the design challenge for supporting ‘active place presence’ at home...... to be considered when designing for active place presence at home........ A prototype, Hole in Space, was created to explore the design challenge. A longitudinal study of how an urban couple appropriated the prototype was conducted over the duration of seven months. The paper elaborates on how the Web-mediated design influenced place presence and outlines several aspects that need...

The solarisation of welfare housing: Is passive solar design a boon to those who don`t choose it?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, T. [Australian National Univ., Canberra, ACT (Australia)

1994-12-31

The solarized housing built for what is now the ACT Housing Trust in Canberra in the early 1980`s is revisited to see what lessons can be learned. Several hundred solarized (solar efficient) houses were built by the Federal Government and were the first `passive solar` public housing in Australia. Some houses, due to a combination of slope and expansive soil foundations, were constructed with foil-insulated suspended timber floors instead of concrete slabs and thus had negligible effective thermal mass irrespective of the floor finish chosen by the tenant. It is apparent that many occupants of the early solarized dwellings revisited are not getting the full measure of energy savings and enhanced comfort that the designs allow. In several cases, occupant action in building out their own solar access indicates a low or possible even negative value is placed on their solar heating capabilities. Alternatively, it may indicate that the conceptual extension of living spaces onto a northerly patio, an integral part of many of the original designs, is so attractive as to tempt the owners into extending the roof in translucent material to protect the pleasurable times they have there. This post-occupancy evaluation suggests that acceptance of solar housing should be more closely examined to ensure that future low energy designs fully accommodate the preferred living patterns and needs of their target audience and that further attempts at occupant education are effective in reducing actual home energy consumption. (author). photos. 2 refs.

Residential Solar Design Review: A Manual on Community Architectural Controls and Solar Energy Use.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaffe, Martin; Erley, Duncan

Presented are architectural design issues associated with solar energy use, and procedures for design review committees to consider in examining residential solar installation in light of existing aesthetic goals for their communities. Recommended design review criteria include the type of solar system being used and the ways in which the system…

Solar oven for intertropical zones: Optogeometrical design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jaramillo, O.A.; Huelsz, G.; Hernandez-Luna, G.; del Rio, J.A. [Centro de Investigacion en Energia. Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. Priv. Xochicalco S/N. Col. Centro. Temixco, Morelos 62580 (Mexico); Acosta, R. [Universidad de Quintana Roo, Boulevard Bahia s/n Esq. I. Comonfort, Chetumal Quintana Roo 77019 (Mexico); Arriaga, L.G. [Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas, Av. Reforma 113, Col. Palmira, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62490 (Mexico)

2007-10-15

In this paper, a novel design of a solar oven for the intertropical zones is presented. The oven box has seven faces instead of the six faces of most common designs reported in the literature, two of them are alternatively used as bases. This oven has four fixed mirrors to concentrate solar energy.The main advantage of this novel design is that the oven needs only four simple movements in order to obtain an adequate solar concentration throughout the year. This feature has been possible due to the optogeometrical design that is presented. A simple theoretical model of the oven concentration is developed. According to the model, the concentration achieved by the oven at noon is greater than 1.95 for all days of the year. In order to analyze the optical performance of the solar cooker, an experimental evaluation was conducted by using a scale model of the solar cooker and a heliodon. (author)

Solar oven for intertropical zones: Optogeometrical design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaramillo, O.A.; Huelsz, G.; Hernandez-Luna, G.; Rio, J.A. del; Acosta, R.; Arriaga, L.G.

2007-01-01

In this paper, a novel design of a solar oven for the intertropical zones is presented. The oven box has seven faces instead of the six faces of most common designs reported in the literature, two of them are alternatively used as bases. This oven has four fixed mirrors to concentrate solar energy.The main advantage of this novel design is that the oven needs only four simple movements in order to obtain an adequate solar concentration throughout the year. This feature has been possible due to the optogeometrical design that is presented. A simple theoretical model of the oven concentration is developed. According to the model, the concentration achieved by the oven at noon is greater than 1.95 for all days of the year. In order to analyze the optical performance of the solar cooker, an experimental evaluation was conducted by using a scale model of the solar cooker and a heliodon

Experimental Study on Various Solar Still Designs

OpenAIRE

T. Arunkumar; K. Vinothkumar; Amimul Ahsan; R. Jayaprakash; Sanjay Kumar

2012-01-01

Humankind has depended for ages on underground water reservoirs for its fresh water needs. But these sources do not always prove to be useful due to the presence of excessive salinity in the water. In this paper, the fabrication of seven solar still designs such as spherical solar still, pyramid solar still, hemispherical solar still, double basin glass solar still, concentrator coupled single slope solar still, tubular solar still and tubular solar still coupled with pyramid solar still and ...

On participatory design of home-based healthcare

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grönvall, Erik; Kyng, Morten

2013-01-01

Participatory design (PD) activities in private homes challenge how we relate to the PD process, compared to PD in professional settings. Grounded in a project related to chronic dizziness among older people, we identified four challenges when performing PD with ill, weak users in their private...... homes. The challenges are (1) designing for, and negotiating knowledge about, the home, (2) ill, weak users and their participation in PD, (3) divergent interests of participants and (4) usable and sustainable post-project solutions. These challenges have to be carefully addressed, and we use them...... to reflect upon differences between a home-based PD process with non-workers, such as ours, and work-place projects, such as Utopia. Through this reflection, the paper contributes to a more general discussion on PD in non-work settings with weak users. Indeed, differences do exist between traditional PD...

Media work as public affairs: moving beyond media savvy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Trapp, Leila; Laursen, Bo

Much research exists which examines how politically-motivated organizations adapt their communication practices to suit the news media’s routines and values to gain media coverage and thereby exert political influence. The mediatization literature describes these adaptation processes as constantly...... evolving, with professional communicators exhibiting an ever-growing amount of media savvy. The purpose of this study is to gain up-to-date insights into current forms of media adaptation in political organizations through interviews with professional press contact staff in 52 Danish interest groups....... The interviews reveal that media work is considered an effective, though potentially risky, form of public affairs. Indeed, media work is said to damage, or even ruin, an organization’s lobbying efforts or relationships with political actors. The study’s key finding is that in order to deal with these risks...

Pre-Employment Laboratory Education. Home Furnishings/Interior Design Guidebook.

Science.gov (United States)

Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock. Home Economics Instructional Materials Center.

This guidebook is designed for use in teaching students enrolled in pre-employment laboratory education (PELE) home furnishing/interior design programs. The first of two major sections includes an overview for teachers on planning, conducting, and evaluating a home furnishings/interior design program. Specific topics discussed in section 1 include…

Solar Ready Vets Curriculum Design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dalstrom, Tenley

2017-08-31

The 5-week SRV program includes four sets of program learning goals aligned around (1) the NABCEP Entry Level body of knowledge; (2) gaining hands-on experience with solar system site analysis, design, installation, commissioning, operation, maintenance and financial considerations; (3) Safety issues unique to solar + OSHA 30; (4) Transition planning and individual support of entry into the solar industry. These goals, and the learning objectives associate with each, are pursued in parallel during the course.

Solar collector design with respect to moisture problems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holck, Ole; Svendsen, Svend; Brunold, Stefan

2003-01-01

more ventilation openings should be made and what influence the insulation material has. Guidelines for collector designers are proposed. The design guidelines provide some suggestions to be considered during the design of solar collectors.The work was carried out within the framework of the working...... group Materials in Solar Thermal Collectors of the International Energy Agency-Solar Heating and Cooling Programme....... the design of the collector, the location and size of ventilation holes, properties of the insulation materials and dimension of the solar collector box are parameters that have to be taken into account for the optimisation in order to achieve the most favourable microclimate to prevent corrosion...

Indonesia solar home systems project for rural electrification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanghvi, A.P.

1997-12-01

This paper presents, from a financing aspect the broad issues involved in a plan to provide solar home systems (SHS) to provide rural electrification in several areas of rural Indonesia. The paper discusses the approaches being used to provide funding, develop awareness of the technology, and assure the success of the project. The plan involves the use of grant money to help with some of the initial costs of such systems, and thereby to encourage local financing on a terms rather than cash basis. There are needs for market development, and development of a business structure in the country to support this type of technology. Provided this plan can succeed, it may serve as a model for further efforts.

A high-performance stand-alone solar PV power system for LED lighting

KAUST Repository

Huang, B. J.; Hsu, P. C.; Wu, M. S.; Chen, K.Y.

2010-01-01

The present study developed a high-performance solar PV power technology for the LED lighting of a solar home system. The nMPPO (near-Maximum-Power- Point- Operation) design is employed in system design to eliminate MPPT. A feedback control system

Solar technology in the Federal Republic of Germany

Science.gov (United States)

1979-01-01

A series of papers dealing with the status of solar research and development in the Federal Republic of Germany are presented at a conference in Greece with the object of promoting international cooperation in solar energy utilization. The reports focus on solar collector designs, solar systems, heat pumps, solar homes, solar cooling and refrigeration, desalination and electric power generation. Numerous examples of systems produced by German manufacturers are illustrated and described, and performance data are presented.

NREL/Habitat for Humanity Zero Energy Home: A Cold-Climate Case Study for Affordable Zero Energy Homes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Norton, P.; Christensen, C.; Hancock, E.; Barker, G.; Reeves, P.

2008-06-01

The design of this 1,280-square-foot, three-bedroom Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver zero energy home carefully combines envelope efficiency, efficient equipment, appliances and lighting, and passive and active solar features to reach the zero energy goal. The home was designed with an early version (July 22, 2004) of the BEOpt building optimization software; DOE2 and TRNSYS were used to perform additional analysis. This engineering approach was tempered by regular discussions with Habitat construction staff and volunteers. These discussions weighed the applicability of the optimized solutions to the special needs and economics of a Habitat house--moving the design toward simple, easily maintained mechanical systems and volunteer-friendly construction techniques. A data acquisition system was installed in the completed home to monitor its performance.

Rural electrification with photovoltaic solar technology using solar home system; Eletrificacao rural com tecnologia solar fotovoltaica utilizando sistemas isolados autonomos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salviano, Carlos Jose Caldas

1999-02-01

The utilization of solar energy, inexhaustible on the earthly scale of time, as heat and light source, today is one of the energetics alternatives more to confront the challenges of the new millennium. Remarkable is the impulse that power generation photovoltaic has received in Brazil. In Pernambuco, state of Brazil, the CELPE - Electric Power Company of Pernambuco, already implanted more than 750 photovoltaic solar home system (95 kW installed) for power supply to rural communities far from the grid connection that come across in commercial operation since 1994. Eight configurations were studied with modifications in their components (panel, battery and charge) with the objective to evaluate the performance and the adequacy of the size these configurations. The parameters utilized for this evaluation were: solar energy diary incident on the panel plat, diary efficiency generator, output voltage on the generator and state of charge the batteries bank. A system of data acquisition automated was fined to measure in real conditions the function of each components, the following parameters: solar radiation incident and temperature on the photovoltaic generator, voltage and generator current, batteries bank and charge and ambient temperature. About the configurations studied, it follows that analysis the operational of characteristics capacity and battery capacity of the SHS utilized, simulating the rural electrification conditions. It was possible to certify the adequate configurations for the load profile will be supply. (author)

Challenge Students to Design an Energy-Efficient Home

Science.gov (United States)

Griffith, Jack

2008-01-01

This article presents an activity that gives students a practical understanding of how much energy the average home consumes and wastes, and shows how the construction technologies used in home design affect overall energy usage. In this activity, students will outline the cost of a home's electrical system, give a breakdown of how much power the…

Knowledge and adoption of solar home systems in rural Nicaragua

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rebane, Kaja L.; Barham, Bradford L.

2011-01-01

Solar home systems (SHSs) are a promising electrification option for many households in the developing world. In most countries SHSs are at an early stage of dissemination, and thus face a hurdle common to many emerging alternative energy technologies: many people do not know enough about them to decide whether to adopt one or not. This study uses survey data collected in Nicaragua to investigate characteristics that predict the knowledge and adoption of SHSs among the rural population. First, a series of probit models is used to model the determinants of four measures of SHS knowledge. Next, a biprobit model with sample selection is employed to investigate the factors that predict SHS adoption, conditional on having sufficient knowledge to make an adoption decision. Comparison of the biprobit formulation to a standard probit model of adoption affirms its value. This study identifies multiple determinants of SHS knowledge and adoption, offers several practical recommendations to project planners, and provides an analytical framework for future work in this policy-relevant area. - Research highlights: → Solar home systems (SHSs) are a promising rural electrification option in the developing world. → As with many emerging renewable energy technologies, lack of knowledge may limit SHS adoption. → We use probit models to investigate the determinants of SHS knowledge in rural Nicaragua. → We also employ a biprobit model linking the determinants of knowledge and adoption. → We find that in analyzing SHS adoption, accounting for sample selection based on knowledge is key.

Task 9. Photovoltaic deployment in developing countries. Financing mechanisms for solar home systems in developing countries. The role of financing in the dissemination process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scheutzlich, T.; Pertz, K.; Klinghammer, W.; Scholand, M.; Wisniwski, S.

2002-09-15

This report for the International Energy Agency (IEA) made by Task 9 of the Photovoltaic Power Systems (PVPS) programme takes a look at the implementation of Solar Home Systems in developing countries. The objective of Task 9 is to increase the successful deployment of PV systems in developing countries. This paper takes a look at financing mechanisms for Solar Home Systems (SHS). The lack of financial services for users of SHS is often regarded as the main barrier for their commercial dissemination and is often the justification for donor assisted programmes. This study attempts to shed some light on the question whether commercial SHS dissemination in remote rural areas could be made easier if financial services were made available. The authors state that the thesis is based on the fact that carefully designed, target-group-oriented financial services may speed up the widespread dissemination of SHS. Financial mechanisms for the stimulation of SHS and how their commercialisation can be achieved are among the topics discussed.

Design considerations for medical devices in the home environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaufman-Rivi, Diana; Collins-Mitchell, Janette; Jetley, Raoul

2010-01-01

Patient demographics, economic forces, and technological advancements contribute to the rise in home care services. Advanced medical devices and equipment originally designed for use by trained personnel in hospitals and clinics are increasingly migrating into the home. Unlike the clinical setting, the home is an uncontrolled environment with additional hazards. The compatibility of the device with the recipient's knowledge, abilities, lifestyle, and home environment plays a significant role in their therapy and rehabilitation. The advent of new device technologies such as wireless devices and interoperability of systems lends a new and complex perspective for medical device use in the home that must also be addressed. Adequately assessing and matching the patient and their caregiver with the appropriate device technology while considering the suitability of the home environment for device operation and maintenance is a challenge that relies on good human factors principles. There is a need to address these challenges in the growing home care sector In this article, the authors take a look at some important considerations and design issues for medical devices used in the home care environment.

Photonic Design: From Fundamental Solar Cell Physics to Computational Inverse Design

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Owen Dennis

Photonic innovation is becoming ever more important in the modern world. Optical systems are dominating shorter and shorter communications distances, LED's are rapidly emerging for a variety of applications, and solar cells show potential to be a mainstream technology in the energy space. The need for novel, energy-efficient photonic and optoelectronic devices will only increase. This work unites fundamental physics and a novel computational inverse design approach towards such innovation. The first half of the dissertation is devoted to the physics of high-efficiency solar cells. As solar cells approach fundamental efficiency limits, their internal physics transforms. Photonic considerations, instead of electronic ones, are the key to reaching the highest voltages and efficiencies. Proper photon management led to Alta Device's recent dramatic increase of the solar cell efficiency record to 28.3%. Moreover, approaching the Shockley-Queisser limit for any solar cell technology will require light extraction to become a part of all future designs. The second half of the dissertation introduces inverse design as a new computational paradigm in photonics. An assortment of techniques (FDTD, FEM, etc.) have enabled quick and accurate simulation of the "forward problem" of finding fields for a given geometry. However, scientists and engineers are typically more interested in the inverse problem: for a desired functionality, what geometry is needed? Answering this question breaks from the emphasis on the forward problem and forges a new path in computational photonics. The framework of shape calculus enables one to quickly find superior, non-intuitive designs. Novel designs for optical cloaking and sub-wavelength solar cell applications are presented.

Architectural design of passive solar residential building

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ma Jing

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper studies thermal environment of closed balconies that commonly exist in residential buildings, and designs a passive solar residential building. The design optimizes the architectural details of the house and passive utilization of solar energy to provide auxiliary heating for house in winter and cooling in summer. This design might provide a more sufficient and reasonable modification for microclimate in the house.

Solar home systems. Insights from developing countries of the world. A literature survey of current issues and topics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dlamini, S.N.

1999-08-01

The study presents an overview of the main issues discussed and topics in regards and with relevance to Solar Home Systems. The main issues are grouped and discussed in five topics: financing, institutional arrangements, market opportunities, information and communication, and standards and quality control. Major challenges as far as projects are concerned, whether public or private, are highlighted, in particular regarding aspects of financing and institutional mechanisms. The up-front costs make Solar Home Systems out of reach for the greater number of people who need them most. On the other hand, sourcing private finance for renewable energy technologies in general, and Solar Home Systems in particular, has often been very difficult because of the perceived risks. Even if these funds would be available, weak institutional links often undermine project success. However, a handful of success stories exist today and could possibly be replicated elsewhere in the developing world. The subject of information dissemination needs to be revisited and clearly set in perspective. Several countries and organisations have now developed standards and technical norms, but universality and applicability are issues still at hands. 61 refs

Solar Hot Water Heater

Science.gov (United States)

1978-01-01

The solar panels pictured below, mounted on a Moscow, Idaho home, are part of a domestic hot water heating system capable of providing up to 100 percent of home or small business hot water needs. Produced by Lennox Industries Inc., Marshalltown, Iowa, the panels are commercial versions of a collector co-developed by NASA. In an effort to conserve energy, NASA has installed solar collectors at a number of its own facilities and is conducting research to develop the most efficient systems. Lewis Research Center teamed with Honeywell Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota to develop the flat plate collector shown. Key to the collector's efficiency is black chrome coating on the plate developed for use on spacecraft solar cells, the coating prevents sun heat from "reradiating," or escaping outward. The design proved the most effective heat absorber among 23 different types of collectors evaluated in a Lewis test program. The Lennox solar domestic hot water heating system has three main components: the array of collectors, a "solar module" (blue unit pictured) and a conventional water heater. A fluid-ethylene glycol and water-is circulated through the collectors to absorb solar heat. The fluid is then piped to a double-walled jacket around a water tank within the solar module.

Design of smart home gateway based on Wi-Fi and ZigBee

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yang

2018-04-01

With the increasing demand for home lifestyle, the traditional smart home products have been unable to meet the needs of users. Aim at the complex wiring, high cost and difficult operation problems of traditional smart home system, this paper designs a home gateway for smart home system based on Wi-Fi and ZigBee. This paper first gives a smart home system architecture base on cloud server, Wi-Fi and ZigBee. This architecture enables users to access the smart home system remotely from Internet through the cloud server or through Wi-Fi at home. It also offers the flexibility and low cost of ZigBee wireless networking for home equipment. This paper analyzes the functional requirements of the home gateway, and designs a modular hardware architecture based on the RT5350 wireless gateway module and the CC2530 ZigBee coordinator module. Also designs the software of the home gateway, including the gateway master program and the ZigBee coordinator program. Finally, the smart home system and home gateway are tested in two kinds of network environments, internal network and external network. The test results show that the designed home gateway can meet the requirements, support remote and local access, support multi-user, support information security technology, and can timely report equipment status information.

Information work: solar energy. Home heating, hot water production, cooling, power generation. Volume 1. Informationswerk sonnenenergie. Hausheizung, warmwasserbereitung, kuehlung, stromgewinnung. Band 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1976-01-01

Seven articles on various aspects of solar energy utilization are compiled. The topics discussed are solar home heating in modular construction, recommedations for private and industrial new construction, legal aspects in solar energy installations, solar state diagrams as an aid for improving solar planning data for construction, insolation and clouds, network of stations and observation sites for radiation measurements in Germany, and solar collectors for air medium. (JSR)

Breaking the cycle: Producer and consumer perspectives on the non-adoption of passive solar housing in the US

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garrett, Vicki; Koontz, Tomas M.

2008-01-01

Creating the technologies to solve our energy and pollution problems is only one part of the solution. Getting the technologies adopted may be a larger hurdle. This study examines the adoption of a low- or no-cost technology, passive solar housing design, in the United States. Interviews with professionals involved in passive solar supply identified lack of demand as the most important factor, followed by availability, awareness, and economic incentives. Corresponding survey results from homebuyers in one region suggest that lack of demand represents not disinterest, but rather lack of availability when purchasing a home. Conventional homeowners are not familiar with passive solar design, but are predisposed to favor it, especially if it can be incorporated into traditional housing styles. In addition, to the extent that they can learn information to counter the perceptions that passive solar homes are too complicated or there is too little sun in their region, homebuyers would be more willing to purchase a passive solar home. Policy interventions to promote passive solar homes should focus on supply-side incentives as well as information for homebuyers

Breaking the cycle: Producer and consumer perspectives on the non-adoption of passive solar housing in the US

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garrett, Vicki; Koontz, Tomas M. [School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 210 Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States)

2008-04-15

Creating the technologies to solve our energy and pollution problems is only one part of the solution. Getting the technologies adopted may be a larger hurdle. This study examines the adoption of a low- or no-cost technology, passive solar housing design, in the United States. Interviews with professionals involved in passive solar supply identified lack of demand as the most important factor, followed by availability, awareness, and economic incentives. Corresponding survey results from homebuyers in one region suggest that lack of demand represents not disinterest, but rather lack of availability when purchasing a home. Conventional homeowners are not familiar with passive solar design, but are predisposed to favor it, especially if it can be incorporated into traditional housing styles. In addition, to the extent that they can learn information to counter the perceptions that passive solar homes are too complicated or there is too little sun in their region, homebuyers would be more willing to purchase a passive solar home. Policy interventions to promote passive solar homes should focus on supply-side incentives as well as information for homebuyers. (author)

Solar Living House Final Technical Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walters, Bradley [Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)

2017-03-09

The Solar Living House is a high-performance solar-powered dwelling designed by a team of faculty and students from the University of Florida, in collaboration with Santa Fe College, the National University of Singapore, and Alachua Habitat for Humanity. The project was designed in accordance with the Solar Decathlon 2015, a research, design, education, and outreach program developed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The Solar Living House is fundamentally a house for living, centered on people and the activities of daily life while quietly introducing advanced design, construction, and engineering technologies. The 993 square-foot two-bedroom one-bath home was designed to embrace and frame an exterior courtyard space. This courtyard acts as an extension of the interior living spaces, maximizing the spatial potentials of a modest building footprint and introducing natural light into the primary living spaces of the house. Research Outcomes: The Solar Living House advances work on high-performance buildings through three principal technological innovations: wet/dry modular construction, a building automation system, and solar dehumidification systems. Wet / Dry Modular Construction: The house is designed as a series of five modules, including one that is designated as the “wet core.” The wet core consolidates the mechanical systems and bathroom into a single module to reduce plumbing runs, efficiency losses, and on-site construction time. The other four modules are designed to eliminate interior load bearing walls to allow for maximum flexibility in the reconfiguring of the space over time. The modules are designed to meet the structural challenges of both Florida’s hurricanes and California’s earthquakes. Building Automation System: The house is equipped with an integrated building automation system, allowing the houses environmental systems, lights, security systems, and smoke detectors to be programmed, monitored, and controlled through any mobile

Dream Home: a multiview stereoscopic interior design system

Science.gov (United States)

Hsiao, Fu-Jen; Teng, Chih-Jen; Lin, Chung-Wei; Luo, An-Chun; Yang, Jinn-Cherng

2010-01-01

In this paper, a novel multi-view stereoscopic interior design system, "Dream Home", has been developed to bring users new interior design experience. Different than other interior design system before, we put emphasis on its intuitive manipulation and multi-view stereoscopic visualization in real time. Users can do their own interior design just using their hands and eyes without any difficulty. They manipulate furniture cards directly as they wish to setup their living room in the model house task space, get the multi-view 3D visual feedback instantly, and re-adjust cards until they are satisfied. No special skills are required, and you can explore your design talent arbitrarily. We hope that "Dream Home" will make interior design more user-friendly, more intuitive, and more vivid.

Appraising into the Sun: Six-State Solar Home Paired-Sale Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

2015-11-12

Although residential solar photovoltaic (PV) installations have proliferated, PV systems on some U.S. homes still receive no value during an appraisal because comparable home sales are lacking. To value residential PV, some previous studies have employed paired-sales appraisal methods to analyze small PV home samples in depth, while others have used statistical methods to analyze large samples. Our first-of-its-kind study connects the two approaches. It uses appraisal methods to evaluate sales price premiums for owned PV systems on single-unit detached houses that were also evaluated in a large statistical study. Independent appraisers evaluated 43 recent home sales pairs in six states: California, Oregon, Florida, Maryland, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. We compare these results with contributory-value estimates—based on income (using the PV Value® tool), gross cost, and net cost—as well as hedonic modeling results from the recent statistical study. The results provide strong, appraisal-based evidence of PV premiums in all states. More importantly, the results support the use of cost- and incomebased PV premium estimates when paired-sales analysis is impossible. PV premiums from the paired-sales analysis are most similar to net PV cost estimates. PV Value® income results generally track the appraised premiums, although conservatively. The appraised premiums are in agreement with the hedonic modeling results as well, which bolsters the suitability of both approaches for estimating PV home premiums. Therefore, these results will benefit valuation professionals and mortgage lenders who increasingly are encountering homes equipped with PV and need to understand the factors that can both contribute to and detract from market value.

Restorative Virtual Environment Design for Augmenting Nursing Home Rehabilitation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bruun-Pedersen, Jon Ram; Serafin, Stefania; Kofoed, Lise

2016-01-01

do, but more studies on content and design of proper custom designs for RVEs is necessary. This paper reviews the background for RVE design, describes four custom RVE designs for recreational VE exploration and presents user preferences among nursing home users concerning content and other pivotal......With increasing age, muscle strength decreases excessively rapidly if physical activity is not maintained. However, physical activity is increasingly difficult with age, due to balance, strength or coordination difficulties, arthritis, etc. Moreover, many nursing home residents become unable...... to experience natural surroundings. Augmenting a conventional biking exercise with a recreational virtual environment (RVE) has shown to serve as an intrinsic motivation contributor to exercise for nursing home residents. RVEs might be able to provide some of the health benefits that regular nature experiences...

Powering a Home with Just 25 Watts of Solar PV. Super-Efficient Appliances Can Enable Expanded Off-Grid Energy Service Using Small Solar Power Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Phadke, Amol A. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Jacobson, Arne [Schatz Energy Research Center, Arcata, CA (United States); Park, Won Young [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Lee, Ga Rick [Schatz Energy Research Center, Arcata, CA (United States); Alstone, Peter [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Khare, Amit [Schatz Energy Research Center, Arcata, CA (United States)

2015-04-01

Highly efficient direct current (DC) appliances have the potential to dramatically increase the affordability of off-grid solar power systems used for rural electrification in developing countries by reducing the size of the systems required. For example, the combined power requirement of a highly efficient color TV, four DC light emitting diode (LED) lamps, a mobile phone charger, and a radio is approximately 18 watts and can be supported by a small solar power system (at 27 watts peak, Wp). Price declines and efficiency advances in LED technology are already enabling rapidly increased use of small off-grid lighting systems in Africa and Asia. Similar progress is also possible for larger household-scale solar home systems that power appliances such as lights, TVs, fans, radios, and mobile phones. When super-efficient appliances are used, the total cost of solar home systems and their associated appliances can be reduced by as much as 50%. The results vary according to the appliances used with the system. These findings have critical relevance for efforts to provide modern energy services to the 1.2 billion people worldwide without access to the electrical grid and one billion more with unreliable access. However, policy and market support are needed to realize rapid adoption of super-efficient appliances.

Optimal integration of a hybrid solar-battery power source into smart home nanogrid with plug-in electric vehicle

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Xiaohua; Hu, Xiaosong; Teng, Yanqiong; Qian, Shide; Cheng, Rui

2017-09-01

Hybrid solar-battery power source is essential in the nexus of plug-in electric vehicle (PEV), renewables, and smart building. This paper devises an optimization framework for efficient energy management and components sizing of a single smart home with home battery, PEV, and potovoltatic (PV) arrays. We seek to maximize the home economy, while satisfying home power demand and PEV driving. Based on the structure and system models of the smart home nanogrid, a convex programming (CP) problem is formulated to rapidly and efficiently optimize both the control decision and parameters of the home battery energy storage system (BESS). Considering different time horizons of optimization, home BESS prices, types and control modes of PEVs, the parameters of home BESS and electric cost are systematically investigated. Based on the developed CP control law in home to vehicle (H2V) mode and vehicle to home (V2H) mode, the home with BESS does not buy electric energy from the grid during the electric price's peak periods.

Housing choices and care home design for people with dementia.

Science.gov (United States)

Hadjri, Karim; Rooney, Cliona; Faith, Verity

2015-01-01

This article reviews the current state of housing for people with dementia by exploring housing choices available to this group, and identifying potential issues with design of care homes. Older people who wish to age in place are faced with the challenge of adapting their domestic environment to ensure independence, accessibility, and social connectivity. This is even more challenging for people with dementia who continue to live at home, given the risks of self-harm and getting lost. More imaginative and inclusive forms of collective housing are needed. For people with dementia, a move to a new environment is often a stressful experience that causes shock, withdrawal, and anger. Hence, more research is needed to develop more fitting long-term housing options for people with dementia. This article presents a brief review on housing choices and housing design for people with dementia. Interviews with managers of 22 care homes were conducted to explore housing choices and design issues. Results show that the main housing choices available to people with dementia offer different levels of care. The choice of care homes relates to the atmosphere of a home as some occupants favor a homely or relaxing environment and others prefer dynamic settings. A combination of appropriate level of care, a good atmosphere, and design quality within the care home are elements that lead to a more enabling environment. Design of a successful caring environment also requires appropriate care and a positive therapeutic and domestic-looking environment. © The Author(s) 2015.

Compliance to Universal Design Criteria in Nursing Homes of Tehran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morteza Nasiri

2016-07-01

Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that the majority of nursing homes evaluated did not follow the universal design criteria. Therefore, providing the proper guidelines and policies to promote the universal design observance in nursing homes is considered as a major necessity.

Solar Heating and Cooling of Residential Buildings: Sizing, Installation and Operation of Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Colorado State Univ., Ft. Collins. Solar Energy Applications Lab.

This training course and a companion course titled "Design of Systems for Solar Heating and Cooling of Residential Buildings," are designed to train home designers and builders in the fundamentals of solar hydronic and air systems for space heating and cooling and domestic hot water heating for residential buildings. Each course, organized in 22…

Design of a Net-Metering and PV Exhibit for the 2005 Solar Decathlon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wassmer, M.; Warner, C.

2005-01-01

In the 2005 Solar Decathlon competition, 19 collegiate teams will design, build, and operate grid-independent homes powered by photovoltaic (PV) arrays on the National Mall. The prominence of grid-interconnected systems in the marketplace has provided the impetus for the development of a net-metering exhibit to be installed and operated during the competition. The exhibit will inform the visiting public about PV basics and appropriate alternatives to grid-independent systems. It will consist of four interactive components. One will be designed to educate people about the principles of net metering using a small PV array, a grid-interactive inverter, and a variable load. Additional components of the exhibit will demonstrate the effects of orientation, cloud cover, and nighttime on performance. The nighttime component will discuss appropriate storage options for different applications.

Design of direct solar PV driven air conditioner

KAUST Repository

Huang, Bin-Juine

2015-12-05

© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. Solar air conditioning system directly driven by stand-alone solar PV is studied. The air conditioning system will suffer from loss of power if the solar PV power generation is not high enough. It requires a proper system design to match the power consumption of air conditioning system with a proper PV size. Six solar air conditioners with different sizes of PV panel and air conditioners were built and tested outdoors to experimentally investigate the running probabilities of air conditioning at various solar irradiations. It is shown that the instantaneous operation probability (OPB) and the runtime fraction (RF) of the air conditioner are mainly affected by the design parameter rpL (ratio of maximum PV power to load power). The measured OPB is found to be greater than 0.98 at instantaneous solar irradiation IT > 600 W m-2 if rpL > 1.71 RF approaches 1.0 (the air conditioner is run in 100% with solar power) at daily-total solar radiation higher than 13 MJ m-2 day-1, if rpL > 3.

Performance of a solar chimney by varying design parameters

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Kumirai, T

2015-08-01

Full Text Available the design of solar chimneys to ensure optimal performance. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the performance of an example solar chimney by varying the design parameters and examining their effects on the interior ventilation performance... chimney by varying design parameters Tichaona Kumirai, Researcher, Built Environment CSIR Jan-Hendrik Grobler, DPSS CSIR Dr D.C.U. Conradie, Senior researcher, Built Environment CSIR 1 Introduction Trombe walls and solar chimneys are not widely...

Design progress of the solar UV-Vis-IR telescope (SUVIT) aboard SOLAR-C

Science.gov (United States)

Katsukawa, Y.; Ichimoto, K.; Suematsu, Y.; Hara, H.; Kano, R.; Shimizu, T.; Matsuzaki, K.

2013-09-01

We present a design progress of the Solar UV-Vis-IR Telescope (SUVIT) aboard the next Japanese solar mission SOLAR-C. SUVIT has an aperture diameter of ~1.4 m for achieving spectro-polarimetric observations with spatial and temporal resolution exceeding the Hinode Solar Optical Telescope (SOT). We have studied structural and thermal designs of the optical telescope as well as the optical interface between the telescope and the focal plane instruments. The focal plane instruments are installed into two packages, filtergraph and spectrograph packages. The spectropolarimeter is the instrument dedicated to accurate polarimetry in the three spectrum windows at 525 nm, 854 nm, and 1083 nm for observing magnetic fields at both the photospheric and chromospheric layers. We made optical design of the spectrograph accommodating the conventional slit spectrograph and the integral field unit (IFU) for two-dimensional coverage. We are running feasibility study of the IFU using fiber arrays consisting of rectangular cores.

Bringing solar home systems to rural El Salvador: lessons for small NGOs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balint, Peter J.

2006-01-01

This paper presents the results of case studies examining two independent projects that worked to bring solar home systems (SHSs) to isolated communities in El Salvador. Both projects were implemented by small nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that did not have prior experience with SHSs. One project was market-based: families were given the opportunity to purchase the systems at going prices. The other was donor-based: residents were provided the equipment in return for their agreement to cooperate in local environmental protection efforts. Results of a comparative analysis support several conclusions. (1) For small NGOs, the promotion of markets is appealing because of the potential for financial sustainability; yet a reliance on markets may also heighten complexity and increase opportunities for failure. (2) In implementation of market-based projects, all stakeholders, including potential consumers, private-sector service providers, and the staff of NGOs acting as project managers, will face pressures to modify and adapt their attitudes and behaviors. (3) Alternative models for small-scale projects that integrate market-based and donor-based design features deserve consideration

Design approach for solar cell and battery of a persistent solar powered GPS tracker

Science.gov (United States)

Sahraei, Nasim; Watson, Sterling M.; Pennes, Anthony; Marius Peters, Ian; Buonassisi, Tonio

2017-08-01

Sensors with wireless communication can be powered by photovoltaic (PV) devices. However, using solar power requires thoughtful design of the power system, as well as a careful management of the power consumption, especially for devices with cellular communication (because of their higher power consumption). A design approach can minimize system size, weight, and/or cost, while maximizing device performance (data transmission rate and persistence). In this contribution, we describe our design approach for a small form-factor, solar-powered GPS tracker with cellular communication. We evaluate the power consumption of the device in different stages of operation. Combining measured power consumption and the calculated energy-yield of a solar cell, we estimate the battery capacity and solar cell area required for 5 years of continuous operation. We evaluate trade-offs between PV and battery size by simulating the battery state of charge. The data show a trade-off between battery capacity and solar-cell area for given target data transmission rate and persistence. We use this analysis to determine the combination of solar panel area and battery capacity for a given application and the data transmission rate that results in minimum cost or total weight of the system.

Potential of solar home systems in Pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Memon, M.; Harijan, K.; Uqaili, M. A.

2007-01-01

About 68% of the population of Pakistan resides in rural areas. Most of the rural households have no access to electricity and meet lighting requirements through kerosene which is a major source of indoor air pollution and other environmental and health hazards. Rural villages are scattered over a large area and located far from the main electric grids. They have low population density and requires small load. About 67% of the conventional electricity in Pakistan is generated from fossil fuels with 51% and 16% share of gas and oil respectively. The indigenous reserves of oil and gas are limited and the country heavily depends on imported oil. The oil import bill is a serious strain on the country's economy. The combustion of fossil fuels also causes serious environmental pollution. The conventional power is even not sufficient for meeting the growing demand of electricity from the existing customers. Further more the extension of existing centralized grid system to far away from grid line rural areas with very low population density and small-scattered loads are economically and technically unfeasible. Hence there are remote chances of getting grid connection to most of the rural population in the near future. This whole situation requires urgent measures on priority basis for the development of indigenous, environment friendly, renewable energy sources such as solar energy. This paper presents the assessment of potential of solar home systems (SHS) for rural electrification in Pakistan. The country lies in an excellent solar belt range and receives 16-21 MJ/m 2 per day of solar radiation as an annual mean value, with 19 MJ/m 2 per day over most areas of the country. It is estimated that about 7 million households in Pakistan do not have access to electricity (in 2004). Assuming that about 50% of the households in rural areas without electricity today would be electrified up to 2010, and only 25% of the remaining households could afford and would be willing to pay

Large scale solar district heating. Evaluation, modelling and designing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heller, A.

2000-07-01

The main objective of the research was to evaluate large-scale solar heating connected to district heating (CSDHP), to build up a simulation tool and to demonstrate the application of the tool for design studies and on a local energy planning case. The evaluation of the central solar heating technology is based on measurements on the case plant in Marstal, Denmark, and on published and unpublished data for other, mainly Danish, CSDHP plants. Evaluations on the thermal, economical and environmental performances are reported, based on the experiences from the last decade. The measurements from the Marstal case are analysed, experiences extracted and minor improvements to the plant design proposed. For the detailed designing and energy planning of CSDHPs, a computer simulation model is developed and validated on the measurements from the Marstal case. The final model is then generalised to a 'generic' model for CSDHPs in general. The meteorological reference data, Danish Reference Year, is applied to find the mean performance for the plant designs. To find the expectable variety of the thermal performance of such plants, a method is proposed where data from a year with poor solar irradiation and a year with strong solar irradiation are applied. Equipped with a simulation tool design studies are carried out spreading from parameter analysis over energy planning for a new settlement to a proposal for the combination of plane solar collectors with high performance solar collectors, exemplified by a trough solar collector. The methodology of utilising computer simulation proved to be a cheap and relevant tool in the design of future solar heating plants. The thesis also exposed the demand for developing computer models for the more advanced solar collector designs and especially for the control operation of CSHPs. In the final chapter the CSHP technology is put into perspective with respect to other possible technologies to find the relevance of the application

Antireflection coating design for series interconnected multi-junction solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aiken, Daniel J.

1999-01-01

AR coating design for multi-junction solar cells can be more challenging than in the single junction case. Reasons for this are discussed. Analytical expressions used to optimize AR coatings for single junction solar cells are extended for use in monolithic, series interconnected multi-junction solar cell AR coating design. The result is an analytical expression which relates the solar cell performance (through J(sub SC)) directly to the AR coating design through the device reflectance. It is also illustrated how AR coating design can be used to provide an additional degree of freedom for current matching multi-junction devices

Solar water heater design package

Science.gov (United States)

1981-01-01

Package describes commercial domestic-hot-water heater with roof or rack mounted solar collectors. System is adjustable to pre-existing gas or electric hot-water house units. Design package includes drawings, description of automatic control logic, evaluation measurements, possible design variations, list of materials and installation tools, and trouble-shooting guide and manual.

Design of an automatic solar lighting system | Rais | Journal of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The system can be applied to the room light, outdoor light, corridor light, spotlight or streetlight. The system is low cost and beneficial for home usage to save electricity bills and when the occupants are absent for relatively long period of time. Keywords: renewable energy; solar energy; green technology; sustainable; dark on ...

Gas Turbine/Solar Parabolic Trough Hybrid Designs: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Turchi, C. S.; Ma, Z.; Erbes, M.

2011-03-01

A strength of parabolic trough concentrating solar power (CSP) plants is the ability to provide reliable power by incorporating either thermal energy storage or backup heat from fossil fuels. Yet these benefits have not been fully realized because thermal energy storage remains expensive at trough operating temperatures and gas usage in CSP plants is less efficient than in dedicated combined cycle plants. For example, while a modern combined cycle plant can achieve an overall efficiency in excess of 55%; auxiliary heaters in a parabolic trough plant convert gas to electricity at below 40%. Thus, one can argue the more effective use of natural gas is in a combined cycle plant, not as backup to a CSP plant. Integrated solar combined cycle (ISCC) systems avoid this pitfall by injecting solar steam into the fossil power cycle; however, these designs are limited to about 10% total solar enhancement. Without reliable, cost-effective energy storage or backup power, renewable sources will struggle to achieve a high penetration in the electric grid. This paper describes a novel gas turbine / parabolic trough hybrid design that combines solar contribution of 57% and higher with gas heat rates that rival that for combined cycle natural gas plants. The design integrates proven solar and fossil technologies, thereby offering high reliability and low financial risk while promoting deployment of solar thermal power.

Home Photovoltaic System Design in Pangkalpinang City

Science.gov (United States)

Sunanda, Wahri

2018-02-01

This research aims to obtain the design of home photovoltaic systems in Pangkalpinang and the opportunity of economic savings. The system consists of photovoltaic with batteries. Based on electricity consumption of several houses with installed power of 1300 VA and 2200 VA in Pangkalpinang for one year, the daily load of photovoltaic system is varied to 40%, 30% and 20% of the average value of the daily home electricity consumption. The investment costs, the cost of replacement parts and the cost of electricity consumption accrued to PLN during lifetime of systems (25 years) are also calculated. The result provided that there are no economic saving opportunities for photovoltaic systems with batteries at home with installed power of 1300 VA and 2200 VA in Pangkalpinang. The most economical is the photovoltaic system with the daily load of 20% of the average value of the daily home electricity consumption. The configuration of photovoltaic system for 1300 VA home consists of 10 modules of 200 wattpeak and 4 batteries 150 AH, 12 Volt while photovoltaic system for 2200 VA home consists of 15 modules of 200 wattpeak and 6 batteries 150 AH,12Volt.

Designing a Portable and Low Cost Home Energy Management Toolkit

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Keyson, D.V.; Al Mahmud, A.; De Hoogh, M.; Luxen, R.

2013-01-01

In this paper we describe the design of a home energy and comfort management system. The system has three components such as a smart plug with a wireless module, a residential gateway and a mobile app. The combined system is called a home energy management and comfort toolkit. The design is inspired

Solar Thermal AIR Collector Based on New Type Selective Coating

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Musiy, R.Y.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Based on the best for optical performance and selective coating solar thermal air collector, which operates by solar power on the principle of simultaneous ventilation and heating facilities, is designed. It can be used for vacation homes, museums, wooden churches, warehouses, garages, houses, greenhouses etc.

Concept development and techno-economic assessment for a solar home system using lithium-ion battery for developing regions to provide electricity for lighting and electronic devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zubi, Ghassan; Dufo-López, Rodolfo; Pardo, Nicolás; Pasaoglu, Guzay

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Solar home systems using light emitting diode lamps could substitute kerosene lamps. • This implies major improvement in life quality in developing regions. • The economic advantage of solar home systems is substantial and incremental. • This shift implies a cut of more than 200 mega tons of carbon dioxide annually. • Implementation barriers can be overcome by early consideration in system engineering. - Abstract: Around 18% of the world’s population still don’t have access to electricity, most of them living in rural areas in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Kerosene lamps are widely used for lighting in these regions, but imply a big number of disadvantages including low light quality, reduced indoor air quality and safety concerns. Furthermore, the consumption of kerosene for lighting is very energy inefficient and implies a relatively high cost for the added value it provides, while its price volatility is a major concern for dependant developing regions. Global carbon dioxide emissions from kerosene lamps exceed 200 mega tons annually. A solar home system using light emitting diode lamps provides an effective solution for this problem. This paper elaborates such a solar home system while focusing on overcoming implementation barriers including lack of technical support and affordability. An evolutionary techno-economic assessment, considering the time period 2015–2030, is provided for the proposed system. This emphasizes not only the existing but also the increasing advantage of solar home systems over kerosene lamps.

Designing a place called home reordering the suburbs

CERN Document Server

Wentling, James

2017-01-01

This insightful volume shares design ideas to help builders, planners and architects create mass-produced affordable housing that pushes suburban development in more sustainable, liveable directions. The author argues that improving the quality of design in our new homes and communities for greater resiliency, sustainability, and equality, we can build neighborhoods and communities where residents feel more connected t their homes and to one another. Through text, photographs and illustrations, the book reviews prototypical American housing design, then suggest ways to both learn from the past as well as adapt for new environmental imperatives, demographic changes and lifestyle needs. Written by a practicing architect with 25+ years of experience optimizing residential design, this pioneering approach to suburban building will inspire readers to view mass produced housing through a new, modern lens.

A novel design for a cheap high temperature solar collector: The rotating solar boiler

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Luijtelaer, van J.P.H.; Kroon, M.C.

2009-01-01

In this work a novel type of high temperature solar collector is designed: the rotating solar boiler. This rotating solar boiler consists of two concentric tubes. The inner tube, called absorber, absorbs sunlight and boils water. The outer transparent tube, called cover, is filled with air. The

Solar Power Tower Design Basis Document, Revision 0

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

ZAVOICO,ALEXIS B.

2001-07-01

This report contains the design basis for a generic molten-salt solar power tower. A solar power tower uses a field of tracking mirrors (heliostats) that redirect sunlight on to a centrally located receiver mounted on top a tower, which absorbs the concentrated sunlight. Molten nitrate salt, pumped from a tank at ground level, absorbs the sunlight, heating it up to 565 C. The heated salt flows back to ground level into another tank where it is stored, then pumped through a steam generator to produce steam and make electricity. This report establishes a set of criteria upon which the next generation of solar power towers will be designed. The report contains detailed criteria for each of the major systems: Collector System, Receiver System, Thermal Storage System, Steam Generator System, Master Control System, and Electric Heat Tracing System. The Electric Power Generation System and Balance of Plant discussions are limited to interface requirements. This design basis builds on the extensive experience gained from the Solar Two project and includes potential design innovations that will improve reliability and lower technical risk. This design basis document is a living document and contains several areas that require trade-studies and design analysis to fully complete the design basis. Project- and site-specific conditions and requirements will also resolve open To Be Determined issues.

Optimal Control Design for a Solar Greenhouse

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ooteghem, van R.J.C.

2010-01-01

Abstract: An optimal climate control has been designed for a solar greenhouse to achieve optimal crop production with sustainable instead of fossil energy. The solar greenhouse extends a conventional greenhouse with an improved roof cover, ventilation with heat recovery, a heat pump, a heat

Design, Construction and Performance Comparison of Two Solar ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Productivity enhancement of solar stills has been one of the main goals of researchers. In this study, two designs of solar stills absorber plate were conceptualized and developed and their effects on the productivity process were investigated experimentally. A solar still using a submerged flat absorber plate and another ...

Passive solar construction handbook

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Levy, E.; Evans, D.; Gardstein, C.

1981-08-01

Many of the basic elements of passive solar design are reviewed. The unique design constraints presented in passive homes are introduced and many of the salient issues influencing design decisions are described briefly. Passive solar construction is described for each passive system type: direct gain, thermal storage wall, attached sunspace, thermal storage roof, and convective loop. For each system type, important design and construction issues are discussed and case studies illustrating designed and built examples of the system type are presented. Construction details are given and construction and thermal performance information is given for the materials used in collector components, storage components, and control components. Included are glazing materials, framing systems, caulking and sealants, concrete masonry, concrete, brick, shading, reflectors, and insulators. The Load Collector Ratio method for estimating passive system performance is appended, and other analysis methods are briefly summarized. (LEW)

Creating a Comprehensive Solar Water Heating Deployment Strategy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Focus Marketing Services

1999-01-01

This report details the results of a research conducted in 1998 and 1999 and outlines a marketing deployment plan designed for businesses interested in marketing solar water heaters in the new home industry

Creating a Comprehensive Solar Water Heating Deployment Strategy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Focus Marketing Services

1999-08-18

This report details the results of a research conducted in 1998 and 1999 and outlines a marketing deployment plan designed for businesses interested in marketing solar water heaters in the new home industry.

Design and measured performance of a solar chimney for natural-circulation solar-energy dryers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ekechukwu, O.V.; Norton, B.

1995-10-01

The design and construction of a solar chimney which was undertaken as part of a study on natural-circulation solar-energy dryers is reported. The experimental solar chimney consists of a 5.3m high and 1.64m diameter cylindrical polyethylene-clad vertical chamber, supported structurally by steel framework and draped internally with a selectively-absorbing surface. The performance of the chimney which was monitored extensively with and without the selective surface in place (to study the effectiveness of this design option) is also reported. (author). 14 refs, 7 figs

Universal Design and the Smart Home.

Science.gov (United States)

Pennick, Tim; Hessey, Sue; Craigie, Roland

2016-01-01

The related concepts of Universal Design, Inclusive Design, and Design For All, all recognise that no one solution will fit the requirements of every possible user. This paper considers the extent to which current developments in smart home technology can help to reduce the numbers of users for whom mainstream technology is not sufficiently inclusive, proposing a flexible approach to user interface (UI) implementation focussed on the capabilities of the user. This implies development of the concepts underlying Universal Design to include the development of a flexible inclusive support infrastructure, servicing the requirements of individual users and their personalised user interface devices.

Home-based Self-care: Understanding and Designing Pervasive Technology to Support Care Management Work at Home

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Verdezoto, Nervo

the self-care management work at home. People need to know which care activities to perform, when to perform them, how to proceed and why these are important. While at home, an active lifestyle and comorbidity not only challenge self-care activities but also the use of self-care technologies in non...... that fit into people’s everyday life. Through a design research approach applying user-centered design methods and prototyping, the main focus of this dissertation is on exploring and providing a holistic understanding of the self-care work practices in non-clinical settings. Several home-based care...... practices are investigated to (a) further understand the self-care management work in nonclinical settings, and (b) inform future design of pervasive healthcare technology that accounts for people’s perspectives on self-care and everyday life. First, we explore two selfcare practices of medication...

Solar Probe Plus: Mission design challenges and trades

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Yanping

2010-11-01

NASA plans to launch the first mission to the Sun, named Solar Probe Plus, as early as 2015, after a comprehensive feasibility study that significantly changed the original Solar Probe mission concept. The original Solar Probe mission concept, based on a Jupiter gravity assist trajectory, was no longer feasible under the new guidelines given to the mission. A complete redesign of the mission was required, which called for developing alternative trajectories that excluded a flyby of Jupiter. Without the very powerful gravity assist from Jupiter it was extremely difficult to get to the Sun, so designing a trajectory to reach the Sun that is technically feasible under the new mission guidelines became a key enabler to this highly challenging mission. Mission design requirements and challenges unique to this mission are reviewed and discussed, including various mission scenarios and six different trajectory designs utilizing various planetary gravity assists that were considered. The V 5GA trajectory design using five Venus gravity assists achieves a perihelion of 11.8 solar radii ( RS) in 3.3 years without any deep space maneuver (DSM). The V 7GA trajectory design reaches a perihelion of 9.5 RS using seven Venus gravity assists in 6.39 years without any DSM. With nine Venus gravity assists, the V 9GA trajectory design shows a solar orbit at inclination as high as 37.9° from the ecliptic plane can be achieved with the time of flight of 5.8 years. Using combined Earth and Venus gravity assists, as close as 9 RS from the Sun can be achieved in less than 10 years of flight time at moderate launch C3. Ultimately the V 7GA trajectory was chosen as the new baseline mission trajectory. Its design allowing for science investigation right after launch and continuing for nearly 7 years is unprecedented for interplanetary missions. The redesigned Solar Probe Plus mission is not only feasible under the new guidelines but also significantly outperforms the original mission concept

Designing Intuitive Web Solutions for Monitoring Patients’ Rehabilitation at Home

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raihana Ferdous

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the design of web-based remote monitoring interfaces aimed at supporting therapists and caregivers in supervising motor-cognitive rehabilitation plans of care to be performed by patients at home. This work was part of a three years’ research project where game-based environments for upper body motor rehabilitation of post-stroke patients were developed in collaboration with two main rehabilitation centers in Italy and Austria, for a subsequent deployment at patients’ homes. The paper will specifically focus on describing the iterative design of the home rehabilitation features for clinicians over the first two years of the project to enable the delivery and monitoring of more personalized, engaging plans of care for home therapy by rehabilitation centers and services.

Refractive integrated nonimaging solar collectors design and analysis of a novel solar-daylighting-technology

OpenAIRE

Pelegrini, Alexandre Vieira

2009-01-01

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University. A novel and original category of low-cost static solar-daylighting-collectors named Keywo solar energy, solar collectors, daylighting systems, nonimaging optics, Refractive Integrated Nonimaging Solar Collectors (RINSC) has been designed and thoroughly tested. The RINSC category is based on nonimaging optics and integrates several optical elements, such as prismatic arrays and light guides, i...

Are micro-benefits negligible? The implications of the rapid expansion of Solar Home Systems (SHS) in rural Bangladesh for sustainable development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Komatsu, Satoru, E-mail: skomatsu@hiroshima-u.ac.jp [Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation, Hiroshima University, 1-5-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8529 (Japan); Kaneko, Shinji, E-mail: kshinji@hiroshima-u.ac.jp [Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation, Hiroshima University, 1-5-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8529 (Japan); Ghosh, Partha Pratim, E-mail: partha1975@gmail.com [Arc Bangladesh (Bangladesh)

2011-07-15

This paper examines the multiple benefits of the adoption of Solar Home Systems (SHS) and discusses the dissemination potential for sustainable rural livelihoods in developing countries. Based on a household survey conducted in rural Bangladesh, we first identify the impact of SHS on the reduction in energy costs and compare purchasing costs. We then examine household lifestyle changes following the adoption of SHS. Finally, we consider several price-reduction scenarios to examine the potential demand for SHS and to evaluate its future dissemination potential. The results of the analysis indicate that households with SHS successfully reduce their consumption of kerosene and dependency on rechargeable batteries, with the cost reductions accounting for some 20-30% of monthly expenditures on SHS. Moreover, most households with SHS can enjoy its benefits, including electric lighting, watching television, and the ease of mobile phone recharging at home. Further, the price reduction can make possible potential demand in more than 60% of households without SHS, while additional price reductions promote the purchase of even larger SHS packages. This study concludes that even though the scale of single SHS is small, the micro-benefits for each household and the dissemination potential are substantial. - Research Highlights: > Price reductions on Solar Home Systems potentially generate demand. > Solar Home Systems enable a reduction in energy costs and improvements in lifestyle. > The micro-benefits for households and the dissemination potential are substantial.

DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Case Study: Garbett Homes, Herriman, Utah

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2013-09-01

As the first net zero-energy production home certified in Utah, this house incorporates two 94% efficient tankless water heaters and two roof-mounted solar panels that preheat the home's water supply. This home won a 2013 Housing Innovation Award in the production builder category.

Robins Air Force Base Solar Cogeneration Facility design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pierce, B.L.; Bodenschatz, C.A.

1982-06-01

A conceptual design and a cost estimate have been developed for a Solar Cogeneration Facility at Robins Air Force Base. This demonstration solar facility was designed to generate and deliver electrical power and process steam to the existing base distribution systems. The facility was to have the potential for construction and operation by 1986 and make use of existing technology. Specific objectives during the DOE funded conceptual design program were to: prepare a Solar Cogeneration Facility (overall System) Specification, select a preferred configuration and develop a conceptual design, establish the performance and economic characteristics of the facility, and prepare a development plan for the demonstration program. The Westinghouse team, comprised of the Westinghouse Advanced Energy Systems Division, Heery and Heery, Inc., and Foster Wheeler Solar Development Corporation, in conjunction with the U.S. Air Force Logistics Command and Georgia Power Company, has selected a conceptual design for the facility that will utilize the latest DOE central receiver technology, effectively utilize the energy collected in the application, operate base-loaded every sunny day of the year, and be applicable to a large number of military and industrial facilities throughout the country. The design of the facility incorporates the use of a Collector System, a Receiver System, an Electrical Power Generating System, a Balance of Facility - Steam and Feedwater System, and a Master Control System.

The Comparison of Photovoltaic with Small Solar Dish Stirling for Solar Home System 50 W{sub p} in Thailand, Medium Insolation Nature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Snidvongs, E. S.; Jindaruj, S.

2006-07-01

The Thai government initiated a project entitled Solar Home System which involved the provision of standalone Photovoltaic 50 Wp for houses without transmission lines in remote areas, 300,000 units. These units are provided at a low price with the government supporting half of the cost and the rest paid by the owners in installments. So far, more than 150,000 units have been installed and it is expected that the whole project would be completed by the end of the year 2005. A purpose of this research is to compare the original Thai government's Solar Home PV System with the new 50 Wp Small Solar Thermal Dish Stirling System in terms of their advantages and disadvantages for Thailand. The result of this would serve as a guide for the users to select the most suitable system in terms of price, maintenance, cost, economy, performance, reliability, and efficiency. Such comparison will be presented in the form of descriptive, photographs, statistics, and tables. As for the data involved, part of this is based on active fact such as construction cost, material cost, labor cost, rate of inflation, rate of interest. While some of these derives from the experience of researcher as well as facts and figures from Thai governments publications such as operation and maintenance cost. In addition to that some data are taken from basic experiments conducted either by the various universities and the researcher own laboratory. These include solar insolation, PV data and Stirling engine test with electric heater. And, of course, some data are based on simple estimation and prediction. Thailand is a country of 550 w/m2 with high humidity, soft-land and medium insolation. It locates near the equator at latitude 5 12 N, longitude 96 106 E. By using a parabolic shape satellite dish with solar tracker and a 60 W Four Cylinders gamma type Stirling engine with sinusoidal gear linear link, low offset space, and solid thermal storage to act as buffer between the solar energy and the

Exploration and design of smart home circuit based on ZigBee

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Huirong

2018-05-01

To apply ZigBee technique in smart home circuit design, in the hardware design link of ZigBee node, TI Company's ZigBee wireless communication chip CC2530 was used to complete the design of ZigBee RF module circuit and peripheral circuit. In addition, the function demand and the overall scheme of the intelligent system based on smart home furnishing were proposed. Finally, the smart home system was built by combining ZigBee network and intelligent gateway. The function realization, reliability and power consumption of ZigBee network were tested. The results showed that ZigBee technology was applied to smart home system, making it have some advantages in terms of flexibility, scalability, power consumption and indoor aesthetics. To sum up, the system has high application value.

Selling Into the Sun: Price Premium Analysis of a Multi-State Dataset of Solar Homes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adomatis, Sandra [Adomatis Appraisal Services, Punta Gorda, FL (United States); Jackson, Thomas [Texas A & M Univ. and Real Property Analytics Inc., College Station, TX (United States); Graff-Zivin, Joshua [Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States); Thayer, Mark [San Diego State Univ., CA (United States); Klise, Geoffrey [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Wiser, Ryan [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Hoen, Ben [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2015-01-01

Capturing the value that solar photovoltaic (PV) systems may add to home sales transactions is increasingly important. Our study enhances the PV-home-valuation literature by more than doubling the number of PV home sales analyzed (22,822 homes in total, 3,951 of which are PV) and examining transactions in eight states that span the years 2002–2013. We find that home buyers are consistently willing to pay PV home premiums across various states, housing and PV markets, and home types; average premiums across the full sample equate to approximately $4/W or $15,000 for an average-sized 3.6-kW PV system. Only a small and non-statistically significant difference exists between PV premiums for new and existing homes, though some evidence exists of new home PV system discounting. A PV green cachet might exist, i.e., home buyers might pay a certain amount for any size of PV system and some increment more depending on system size. The market appears to depreciate the value of PV systems in their first 10 years at a rate exceeding the rate of PV efficiency losses and the rate of straightline depreciation over the asset’s useful life. Net cost estimates—which account for government and utility PV incentives—may be the best proxy for market premiums, but income-based estimates may perform equally well if they accurately account for the complicated retail rate structures that exist in some states. Although this study focuses only on host-owned PV systems, future analysis should focus on homes with third-party-owned PV systems.

The SURE House (Solar Decathlon 2015)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nastasi, John [Stevens Inst. of Technology, Hoboken, NJ (United States); May, Edwin [Stevens Inst. of Technology, Hoboken, NJ (United States)

2017-02-21

Coastal towns and cities across the Northeastern US, with their high population density, aged utility infrastructure, and unique geography, are increasingly vulnerable to climate change related storm events. In October 2012 superstorm Sandy highlighted the fragility of our current coastal building types and made clear the need for a new model of design and construction which works to understand and mitigate these weaknesses. Dramatic changes in public policy, championed by both The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) are driving the rebuilding of these shore communities, often resulting in costly renovations, un-sustainable neighborhood configurations and in direct conflict with concurrent government policies such as The American with Disabilities Act (ADA). The SURE HOUSE demonstrates a series of new design solutions to these conflicting public policies and environmental imperatives. At Stevens Institute of Technology, the 2015 Solar Decathlon started with the challenge: Can we design a home for coastal New Jersey that dramatically reduces its energy use while protecting itself from the realities of a changing, more extreme climate? The SURE HOUSE merges the iconic 20th century shore home with 21st century building science. Utilizing innovative renewable energy technologies, a ‘Passive House’ level building envelope, and rugged glass-fiber-composite materials to flood-proof the home, the SURE HOUSE is a high-performance, net-zero-energy home, armored against extreme weather, designed for the contemporary lifestyle of the Jersey Shore and other vulnerable coastal communities. SUSTAINABLE At Stevens, we recognize that energy use in the home and workplace is directly connected to the growing problem of climate change. Reducing our energy consumption by designing higher performing, compact homes that are both functional, comfortable and desirable is the first critical step towards a modern, sustainable

Passive Solar still: Recent advancement in design and related Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Awasthi, Anuradha; Kumari, Kanchan; Panchal, Hitesh; Sathyamurthy, Ravishankar

2018-05-31

Present review paper mainly focuses on different varieties of solar stills and highlights mostly the passive solar still with advanced modifications in the design and development of material, single and multi-effect solar still with augmentation of different materials, energy absorbing, insulators, mechanisms of heat and mass transfer to improve the loss of heat and enhance the productivity of solar still. The cost-benefit analysis along with the progressive advancement for solar stills is the major highlights of this review. To increase the output of solar still nowadays, applications of advance modifications is one of the promising tools, and it is anticipated that shortly more vigor will be added in this area with the modifications in designs of solar stills.

Design and Development of a Solar Thermal Collector with Single Axis Solar Tracking Mechanism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Theebhan Mogana

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The solar energy is a source of energy that is abundant in Malaysia and can be easily harvested. However, because of the rotation of the Earth about its axis, it is impossible to harvest the solar energy to the maximum capacity if the solar thermal collector is placed fix to a certain angle. In this research, a solar thermal dish with single axis solar tracking mechanism that will rotate the dish according to the position of the sun in the sky is designed and developed, so that more solar rays can be reflected to a focal point and solar thermal energy can be harvested from the focal point. Data were collected for different weather conditions and performance of the solar thermal collector with a solar tracker were studied and compared with stationary solar thermal collector.

Hybrid PV/diesel solar power system design using multi-level factor analysis optimization

Science.gov (United States)

Drake, Joshua P.

Solar power systems represent a large area of interest across a spectrum of organizations at a global level. It was determined that a clear understanding of current state of the art software and design methods, as well as optimization methods, could be used to improve the design methodology. Solar power design literature was researched for an in depth understanding of solar power system design methods and algorithms. Multiple software packages for the design and optimization of solar power systems were analyzed for a critical understanding of their design workflow. In addition, several methods of optimization were studied, including brute force, Pareto analysis, Monte Carlo, linear and nonlinear programming, and multi-way factor analysis. Factor analysis was selected as the most efficient optimization method for engineering design as it applied to solar power system design. The solar power design algorithms, software work flow analysis, and factor analysis optimization were combined to develop a solar power system design optimization software package called FireDrake. This software was used for the design of multiple solar power systems in conjunction with an energy audit case study performed in seven Tibetan refugee camps located in Mainpat, India. A report of solar system designs for the camps, as well as a proposed schedule for future installations was generated. It was determined that there were several improvements that could be made to the state of the art in modern solar power system design, though the complexity of current applications is significant.

Photocatalytic hydrogen production under direct solar light in a CPC based solar reactor: Reactor design and preliminary results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jing Dengwei; Liu Huan; Zhang Xianghui; Zhao Liang; Guo Liejin

2009-01-01

In despite of so many types of solar reactors designed for solar detoxification purposes, few attempts have been made for photocatalytic hydrogen production, which in our option, is one of the most promising approaches for solar to chemical energy conversion. Addressing both the similarity and dissimilarity for these two processes and by fully considering the special requirements for the latter reaction, a Compound Parabolic Concentrator (CPC) based photocatalytic hydrogen production solar reactor has been designed for the first time. The design and optimization of this CPC based solar reactor has been discussed in detail. Preliminary results demonstrated that efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production under direct solar light can be accomplished by coupling tubular reactors with CPC concentrators. It is anticipated that this first demonstration of concentrator-based solar photocatalytic hydrogen production would draw attention for further studies in this promising direction.

BIM-Integration of solar thermal systems in early housing design

OpenAIRE

Bonilla Castro, Alejandro; García Alvarado, Rodrigo

2017-01-01

Abstract: This paper sets a methodology to integrate solar thermal systems in BIM-software for the early architectural design of single houses in Concepción, Chile, using parametric families, programming in Dynamo, energy calculation with LadyBug and piping design in MEP. The results obtained allowed to select products, insert and adapts automatically the parametric designs into the model, as well as to identify changes in the type and number of solar components when the solar orientation of ...

Home medication support for childhood cancer: family-centered design and testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Walsh, Kathleen E; Biggins, Colleen; Blasko, Deb; Christiansen, Steven M; Fischer, Shira H; Keuker, Christopher; Klugman, Robert; Mazor, Kathleen M

2014-11-01

Errors in the use of medications at home by children with cancer are common, and interventions to support correct use are needed. We sought to (1) engage stakeholders in the design and development of an intervention to prevent errors in home medication use, and (2) evaluate the acceptability and usefulness of the intervention. We convened a multidisciplinary team of parents, clinicians, technology experts, and researchers to develop an intervention using a two-step user-centered design process. First, parents and oncologists provided input on the design. Second, a parent panel and two oncology nurses refined draft materials. In a feasibility study, we used questionnaires to assess usefulness and acceptability. Medication error rates were assessed via monthly telephone interviews with parents. We successfully partnered with parents, clinicians, and IT experts to develop Home Medication Support (HoMeS), a family-centered Web-based intervention. HoMeS includes a medication calendar with decision support, a communication tool, adverse effect information, a metric conversion chart, and other information. The 15 families in the feasibility study gave HoMeS high ratings for acceptability and usefulness. Half recorded information on the calendar to indicate to other caregivers that doses were given; 34% brought it to the clinic to communicate with their clinician about home medication use. There was no change in the rate of medication errors in this feasibility study. We created and tested a stakeholder-designed, Web-based intervention to support home chemotherapy use, which parents rated highly. This tool may prevent serious medication errors in a larger study. Copyright © 2014 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Very low energy homes in the United States: Perspectives on performance from measured data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parker, Danny S. [Florida Solar Energy Center, 1679 Clearlake Rd., Cocoa, FL 32922 (United States)

2009-05-15

We present measured annual performance data from a dozen recent-vintage very low energy homes in North America. Many of the designs combine greater energy efficiency with solar electric photovoltaic power in an attempt to create Zero Energy Homes (ZEH). We also provide measured data from the first home constructed to the German Passivhaus standard in the United States. Several projects either exceeded or come very close to true net zero energy when evaluated over a year. The data indicate that very low energy use buildings can very readily be achieved in North America. Annual energy use half that or less than standard housing can be achieved for an equivalent cost of $0.10/kWh from the efficiency investment. In general, the better cost effectiveness seen from energy efficiency measures indicates that greater investment in conservation should be a prerequisite to installation of solar water heating and solar electricity in Zero Energy Homes. However, over emphasis in efficiency is also possible. This suggests that optimization tools such as BEopt and EGUSA, which characterize both renewable resource performance and that also of specific combinations of energy efficiency measures, will best guide designers to locate the most economically favorable mix to reach an energy neutral level. (author)

Research and demonstration facilities for energy conservation and solar heating in the home

Science.gov (United States)

Newman, J. O.; Godbey, L. C.; Davis, M. A.; Ezell, D. O.; Allen, W. H.

1981-10-01

The design, testing and evaluation of two prototype solar holes are discussed. The first prototype is a greenhouse-residence designed with 6-in. wall cavities (to increase insulation thickness), a 381 sq. ft. solar collector used primarily for space heating, and a greenhouse that was utilized as a solar collector for growing vegetables. The house does feature a domestic hot water preheating system and an electrical resistance back-up heating system. The second prototype is an earth-insulated house designed primarily to study the physical features of the house in relation to the soil around it and the thermal interaction between the soil and the house environment. This house features a high temperature air collector that is used for domestic water heating. A special effort was made to have adequate daylight in the solar-earth house. A special study was conducted on the geometric configuration of the rock storage and the methods of admitting air to the rock storage.

SolarOil Project, Phase I preliminary design report. [Solar Thermal Enhanced Oil Recovery project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baccaglini, G.; Bass, J.; Neill, J.; Nicolayeff, V.; Openshaw, F.

1980-03-01

The preliminary design of the Solar Thermal Enhanced Oil Recovery (SolarOil) Plant is described in this document. This plant is designed to demonstrate that using solar thermal energy is technically feasible and economically viable in enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The SolarOil Plant uses the fixed mirror solar concentrator (FMSC) to heat high thermal capacity oil (MCS-2046) to 322/sup 0/C (611/sup 0/F). The hot fluid is pumped from a hot oil storage tank (20 min capacity) through a once-through steam generator which produces 4.8 MPa (700 psi) steam at 80% quality. The plant net output, averaged over 24 hr/day for 365 days/yr, is equivalent to that of a 2.4 MW (8.33 x 10/sup 6/ Btu/hr) oil-fired steam generator having an 86% availability. The net plant efficiency is 57.3% at equinox noon, a 30%/yr average. The plant will be demonstrated at an oilfield site near Oildale, California.

A Database Design and Development Case: Home Theater Video

Science.gov (United States)

Ballenger, Robert; Pratt, Renee

2012-01-01

This case consists of a business scenario of a small video rental store, Home Theater Video, which provides background information, a description of the functional business requirements, and sample data. The case provides sufficient information to design and develop a moderately complex database to assist Home Theater Video in solving their…

Focusing the Sun: State Considerations for Designing Community Solar Policy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cook, Jeffrey J [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Shah, Monisha R [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2018-01-31

This report summarizes outcomes from the National Community Solar Partnership State Best Practices working group by identifying key differences in state policies that enable community solar and illustrating how various policy design approaches may impact the market. For the latter question, it is too early to quantify a relationship between policy design and market impacts, because most state programs have not been fully implemented. So, the authors conducted interviews with 19 subject matter experts, including project developers, regulators, and utilities to better understand how various policy design approaches may impact community solar markets. These perspectives, along with those gleaned from the working group and relevant literature were synthesized to identify key considerations for policymakers designing community solar programs. Though state community solar policies vary in numerous ways, the report focuses on the following critical elements: program cap, project size cap, subscriber location requirements, subscriber eligibility requirements, low- and moderate-income stipulations, and subscriber compensation.

A home-made system for IPCE measurement of standard and dye-sensitized solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palma, Giuseppina; Cozzarini, Luca; Capria, Ennio [Organic OptoElectronics Laboratory, Sincrotrone Trieste SCpA—SS 14.5, km 163.5, 34149 Basovizza (TS) (Italy); Fraleoni-Morgera, Alessandro, E-mail: alessandro.fraleoni@elettra.trieste.it, E-mail: afraleoni@units.it [Organic OptoElectronics Laboratory, Sincrotrone Trieste SCpA—SS 14.5, km 163.5, 34149 Basovizza (TS) (Italy); Flextronics Laboratory, Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Trieste. V. Valerio 10, 34100 Trieste (TS) (Italy)

2015-01-15

A home-made system for incident photon-to-electron conversion efficiency (IPCE) characterization, based on a double-beam UV-Vis spectrophotometer, has been set up. In addition to its low cost (compared to the commercially available apparatuses), the double-beam configuration gives the advantage to measure, autonomously and with no need for supplementary equipment, the lamp power in real time, compensating possible variations of the spectral emission intensity and quality, thus reducing measurement times. To manage the optical and electronic components of the system, a custom software has been developed. Validations carried out on a common silicon-based photodiode and on a dye-sensitized solar cell confirm the possibility to adopt this system for determining the IPCE of solar cells, including dye-sensitized ones.

A home-made system for IPCE measurement of standard and dye-sensitized solar cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Palma, Giuseppina; Cozzarini, Luca; Capria, Ennio; Fraleoni-Morgera, Alessandro

2015-01-01

A home-made system for incident photon-to-electron conversion efficiency (IPCE) characterization, based on a double-beam UV-Vis spectrophotometer, has been set up. In addition to its low cost (compared to the commercially available apparatuses), the double-beam configuration gives the advantage to measure, autonomously and with no need for supplementary equipment, the lamp power in real time, compensating possible variations of the spectral emission intensity and quality, thus reducing measurement times. To manage the optical and electronic components of the system, a custom software has been developed. Validations carried out on a common silicon-based photodiode and on a dye-sensitized solar cell confirm the possibility to adopt this system for determining the IPCE of solar cells, including dye-sensitized ones.

Application and design of solar photovoltaic system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Tianze; Lu Hengwei; Jiang Chuan; Hou Luan; Zhang Xia

2011-01-01

Solar modules, power electronic equipments which include the charge-discharge controller, the inverter, the test instrumentation and the computer monitoring, and the storage battery or the other energy storage and auxiliary generating plant make up of the photovoltaic system which is shown in the thesis. PV system design should follow to meet the load supply requirements, make system low cost, seriously consider the design of software and hardware, and make general software design prior to hardware design in the paper. To take the design of PV system for an example, the paper gives the analysis of the design of system software and system hardware, economic benefit, and basic ideas and steps of the installation and the connection of the system. It elaborates on the information acquisition, the software and hardware design of the system, the evaluation and optimization of the system. Finally, it shows the analysis and prospect of the application of photovoltaic technology in outer space, solar lamps, freeways and communications.

Nonimaging fresnel lenses. Design and performance of solar concentrators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leutz, R. [Tokyo Univ. of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei-shi (Japan). BASE; Suzuki, A. [UNESCO, Paris (France). Natural Science Sector

2001-07-01

This book offers a detailed and comprehensive account of the engineering of the world's first nonimaging Fresnel lens solar concentrator. The book closes a gap in solar concentrator design, and describes nonimaging refractive optics and its numerical mathematics. The contents follow a systems approach that is absent in standard handbooks of optics or solar energy. The reader is introduced to the principles, theories, and advantages of nonimaging optics from the standpoint of concentrating sunlight (the solar concentrator idea). The book shows the reader how to find his or her own optical solution using the rules and methodologies covering the design and the assessment of the nonimaging lens. This novel solar concentrator is developed within the natural constraints presented by the sun and in relation to competitive solutions offered by other concentrators. (orig.)

Solar thermal collectors at design and technology activity days

OpenAIRE

Petrina, Darinka

2016-01-01

Thesis encompases usage of renewable resources of energy, especially solar energy, which is essential for our future. On one hand, certain ways of exploiting solar energy (with solar cells) have been well established and is included in the Design and technology curriculum, on the other hand however, solar thermal collectors have not been recognized enough in spite of their distribution, applicability and environmentally friendly technology. Consequently thesis emphasizes the usage of solar en...

Solar Decathlon 2002: Energy We Can Live With (Program Brochure)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2002-09-01

This program brochure will be handed out to the teams, sponsors, and some attendees to provide a brief overview of the competition and the fourteen entries. The brochure also outlines the sponsors reasons for participating in the Solar Decathlon. The U.S. Department of Energy is proud to sponsor the first-ever Solar Decathlon, a college and university competition that brings together our nation's brightest minds to demonstrate practical ways of producing and using energy efficiently in the home. The Solar Decathlon consists of 10 contests that encompass all the ways in which we use energy in our daily lives--from livability and comfort to daily chores and home-based work to getting around town. Sunlight is the only source of energy that can be used to generate the thermal, electrical, and mechanical power needed to compete in the 10 contests. The best looking house that can produce the most energy and use that energy the most efficiently will win. Energy efficiency and solar technologies are available for the home today, and they are affordable. At the same time, the designs of these homes are attractive and livable. The Solar Decathlon will prove that investment in renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies can reduce our dependence on foreign oil, improve human health, conserve natural resources, and create markets for American products around the world.

Relaying experiences for care home design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Raudaskoski, Pirkko Liisa

2014-01-01

stakeholders (researchers, family members, etc.) could put forward their ideas and wishes about the facilities of a soon-to-be-built care home for people with brain injury. In other words, the seminar was part of a wider diagnostic endeavor that was to be started in a specially designed building. The future...

Are micro-benefits negligible? The implications of the rapid expansion of Solar Home Systems (SHS) in rural Bangladesh for sustainable development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komatsu, Satoru; Kaneko, Shinji; Ghosh, Partha Pratim

2011-01-01

This paper examines the multiple benefits of the adoption of Solar Home Systems (SHS) and discusses the dissemination potential for sustainable rural livelihoods in developing countries. Based on a household survey conducted in rural Bangladesh, we first identify the impact of SHS on the reduction in energy costs and compare purchasing costs. We then examine household lifestyle changes following the adoption of SHS. Finally, we consider several price-reduction scenarios to examine the potential demand for SHS and to evaluate its future dissemination potential. The results of the analysis indicate that households with SHS successfully reduce their consumption of kerosene and dependency on rechargeable batteries, with the cost reductions accounting for some 20-30% of monthly expenditures on SHS. Moreover, most households with SHS can enjoy its benefits, including electric lighting, watching television, and the ease of mobile phone recharging at home. Further, the price reduction can make possible potential demand in more than 60% of households without SHS, while additional price reductions promote the purchase of even larger SHS packages. This study concludes that even though the scale of single SHS is small, the micro-benefits for each household and the dissemination potential are substantial. - Research Highlights: → Price reductions on Solar Home Systems potentially generate demand. → Solar Home Systems enable a reduction in energy costs and improvements in lifestyle. → The micro-benefits for households and the dissemination potential are substantial.

Design and testing of an innovative solar radiation measurement device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badran, Omar; Al-Salaymeh, Ahmed; El-Tous, Yousif; Abdala, Wasfi

2010-01-01

After review of studies conducted on the solar radiation measuring systems, a new innovative instrument that would help in measuring the accurate solar radiation on horizontal surfaces has been designed and tested. An advanced instrument with ease of use and high precision that would enable the user to take the readings in terms of solar intensity (W/m 2 ) has been tested. Also, the innovative instrument can record instantaneous readings of the solar intensities as well as the averages value of the solar radiation flux during certain periods of time. The instrument based in its design on being programmed by programmable interfacing controller (PIC). Furthermore, the power supply circuit is fed by the solar energy cells and does not need an external power source.

OUT Success Stories: Solar Hot Water Technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clyne, R.

2000-01-01

Solar hot water technology was made great strides in the past two decades. Every home, commercial building, and industrial facility requires hot water. DOE has helped to develop reliable and durable solar hot water systems. For industrial applications, the growth potential lies in large-scale systems, using flat-plate and trough-type collectors. Flat-plate collectors are commonly used in residential hot water systems and can be integrated into the architectural design of the building

OUT Success Stories: Solar Hot Water Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Clyne, R.

2000-08-01

Solar hot water technology was made great strides in the past two decades. Every home, commercial building, and industrial facility requires hot water. DOE has helped to develop reliable and durable solar hot water systems. For industrial applications, the growth potential lies in large-scale systems, using flat-plate and trough-type collectors. Flat-plate collectors are commonly used in residential hot water systems and can be integrated into the architectural design of the building.

Privacy, modesty, hospitality, and the design of Muslim homes: A literature review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zulkeplee Othman

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Traditional Islamic teachings and traditions involve guidelines that have direct applications in the domestic sphere. The principles of privacy, modesty, and hospitality are central to these guidelines; each principle has a significant effect on the design of Muslim homes, as well as on the organization of space and domestic behaviors within each home. This paper reviews literature on the privacy, modesty, and hospitality within Muslim homes. Nineteen publications from 1986 to 2013 were selected and analyzed for content related to the meaning of privacy, modesty, and hospitality in Islam and the design of Muslim homes. Despite the commonly shared guidelines for observing privacy, modesty, and hospitality within each home, Muslims living in different countries are influenced by cultural factors that operate within their country of residence. These factors help to shape the architectural styles and use of space within Muslim homes in different ways. Awareness of the multifactorial nature of the influences on the Muslim perception of home and the use of space is necessary for architects, building designers, engineers, and builders to be properly equipped to meet the needs of clients.

Development of Design Methodology for a Small Solar-Powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parvathy Rajendran

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Existing mathematical design models for small solar-powered electric unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs only focus on mass, performance, and aerodynamic analyses. Presently, UAV designs have low endurance. The current study aims to improve the shortcomings of existing UAV design models. Three new design aspects (i.e., electric propulsion, sensitivity, and trend analysis, three improved design properties (i.e., mass, aerodynamics, and mission profile, and a design feature (i.e., solar irradiance are incorporated to enhance the existing small solar UAV design model. A design validation experiment established that the use of the proposed mathematical design model may at least improve power consumption-to-take-off mass ratio by 25% than that of previously designed UAVs. UAVs powered by solar (solar and battery and nonsolar (battery-only energy were also compared, showing that nonsolar UAVs can generally carry more payloads at a particular time and place than solar UAVs with sufficient endurance requirement. The investigation also identified that the payload results in the highest effect on the maximum take-off weight, followed by the battery, structure, and propulsion weight with the three new design aspects (i.e., electric propulsion, sensitivity, and trend analysis for sizing consideration to optimize UAV designs.

Content and Design Features of Academic Health Sciences Libraries' Home Pages.

Science.gov (United States)

McConnaughy, Rozalynd P; Wilson, Steven P

2018-01-01

The goal of this content analysis was to identify commonly used content and design features of academic health sciences library home pages. After developing a checklist, data were collected from 135 academic health sciences library home pages. The core components of these library home pages included a contact phone number, a contact email address, an Ask-a-Librarian feature, the physical address listed, a feedback/suggestions link, subject guides, a discovery tool or database-specific search box, multimedia, social media, a site search option, a responsive web design, and a copyright year or update date.

SOLAR AIRCRAFT DESIGN

OpenAIRE

RAHMATI, Sadegh; GHASED, Amir

2015-01-01

Abstract. Generally domain Aircraft uses conventional fuel. These fuel having limited life, high cost and pollutant. Also nowadays price of petrol and other fuels are going to be higher, because of scarcity of those fuels. So there is great demand of use of non-exhaustible unlimited source of energy like solar energy. Solar aircraft is one of the ways to utilize solar energy. Solar aircraft uses solar panel to collect the solar radiation for immediate use but it also store the remaining part ...

Design data brochure: Solar hot water system

Science.gov (United States)

1978-01-01

A design calculation is detailed for a single-family residence housing a family of four in a nonspecific geographical area. The solar water heater system is designed to provide 80 gallons of 140 F hot water per day.

Solar parabolic dish Stirling engine system design, simulation, and thermal analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hafez, A.Z.; Soliman, Ahmed; El-Metwally, K.A.; Ismail, I.M.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Modeling and simulation for different parabolic dish Stirling engine designs using Matlab®. • The effect of solar dish design features and factors had been taken. • Estimation of output power from the solar dish using Matlab®. • The present analysis provides a theoretical guidance for designing and operating solar parabolic dish system. - Abstract: Modeling and simulation for different parabolic dish Stirling engine designs have been carried out using Matlab®. The effect of solar dish design features and factors such as material of the reflector concentrators, the shape of the reflector concentrators and the receiver, solar radiation at the concentrator, diameter of the parabolic dish concentrator, sizing the aperture area of concentrator, focal Length of the parabolic dish, the focal point diameter, sizing the aperture area of receiver, geometric concentration ratio, and rim angle have been studied. The study provides a theoretical guidance for designing and operating solar parabolic dish Stirling engines system. At Zewail city of Science and Technology, Egypt, for a 10 kW Stirling engine; The maximum solar dish Stirling engine output power estimation is 9707 W at 12:00 PM where the maximum beam solar radiation applied in solar dish concentrator is 990 W/m"2 at 12:00 PM. The performance of engine can be improved by increasing the precision of the engine parts and the heat source efficiency. The engine performance could be further increased if a better receiver working fluid is used. We can conclude that where the best time for heating the fluid and fasting the processing, the time required to heat the receiver to reach the minimum temperature for operating the Solar-powered Stirling engine for different heat transfer fluids; this will lead to more economic solar dish systems. Power output of the solar dish system is one of the most important targets in the design that show effectiveness of the system, and this has achieved when we take

Development of climatic zones and passive solar design in Madagascar

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rakoto-Joseph, O.; Garde, F.; David, M.; Adelard, L.; Randriamanantany, Z.A.

2009-01-01

Climate classification is extremely useful to design buildings for thermal comfort purposes. This paper presents the first work for a climate classification of Madagascar Island. This classification is based on the meteorological data measured in different cities of this country. Three major climatic zones are identified. Psychometric charts for the six urban areas of Madagascar are proposed, and suited passive solar designs related to each climate are briefly discussed. Finally, a total of three passive design zones have been identified and appropriate design strategies such as solar heating, natural ventilation, thermal mass are suggested for each zone. The specificity of this work is that: it is the first published survey on the climate classification and the passive solar designs for this developing country

Climate classification and passive solar design implications in China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lau, Chris C.S.; Lam, Joseph C. [Building Energy Research Group, Department of Building and Construction, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong (China); Yang, Liu [School of Architecture, Xi' an University of Architecture and Technology, Shaanxi 710055 (China)

2007-07-15

China's climate differs greatly in various regions, ranging from severe cold to hot and arid to humid. This has significant influences on energy efficient building design strategies and energy use. Solar radiation data from 123 measuring stations were used to propose a map indicating the solar radiation climates in China. A cluster analysis was adopted to identify the prevailing solar climates using the monthly average daily clearness index, K{sub t}, as climatic variable. Five major solar climates were identified with annual average K{sub t} ranging from 0.3 in the Sichuan Basin to 0.65 in the north and northwest regions. The solar climates were compared with the more widely used general (thermal) climates (severe cold, cold, hot summer and cold winter, mild and hot summer and warm winter) and the major topography (basin, plain and plateau), and implications for building designs were briefly discussed. (author)

Climate classification and passive solar design implications in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lau, Chris C.S.; Lam, Joseph C.; Yang, Liu

2007-01-01

China's climate differs greatly in various regions, ranging from severe cold to hot and arid to humid. This has significant influences on energy efficient building design strategies and energy use. Solar radiation data from 123 measuring stations were used to propose a map indicating the solar radiation climates in China. A cluster analysis was adopted to identify the prevailing solar climates using the monthly average daily clearness index, K t , as climatic variable. Five major solar climates were identified with annual average K t ranging from 0.3 in the Sichuan Basin to 0.65 in the north and northwest regions. The solar climates were compared with the more widely used general (thermal) climates (severe cold, cold, hot summer and cold winter, mild and hot summer and warm winter) and the major topography (basin, plain and plateau), and implications for building designs were briefly discussed

Design and implementation of modular home security system with short messaging system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Budijono Santoso

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Today we are living in 21st century where crime become increasing and everyone wants to secure they asset at their home. In that situation user must have system with advance technology so person do not worry when getting away from his home. It is therefore the purpose of this design to provide home security device, which send fast information to user GSM (Global System for Mobile mobile device using SMS (Short Messaging System and also activate - deactivate system by SMS. The Modular design of this Home Security System make expandable their capability by add more sensors on that system. Hardware of this system has been designed using microcontroller AT Mega 328, PIR (Passive Infra Red motion sensor as the primary sensor for motion detection, camera for capturing images, GSM module for sending and receiving SMS and buzzer for alarm. For software this system using Arduino IDE for Arduino and Putty for testing connection programming in GSM module. This Home Security System can monitor home area that surrounding by PIR sensor and sending SMS, save images capture by camera, and make people panic by turn on the buzzer when trespassing surrounding area that detected by PIR sensor. The Modular Home Security System has been tested and succeed detect human movement.

Work and Home Neighborhood Design and Physical Activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Carlson, Jordan A; Frank, Lawrence D; Ulmer, Jared; Conway, Terry L; Saelens, Brian E; Cain, Kelli L; Sallis, James F

2018-01-01

To investigate relations of perceived worksite neighborhood environments to total physical activity and active transportation, over and above home neighborhood built environments. Observational epidemiologic study. Baltimore, Maryland-Washington, DC, and Seattle-King County, Washington metropolitan areas. One thousand eighty-five adults (mean age = 45.0 [10.2]; 46% women) recruited from 32 neighborhoods stratified by high/low neighborhood income and walkability. The Neighborhood Environment Walkability Survey assessed perceptions of worksite and home neighborhood environments. Accelerometers assessed total moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The International Physical Activity Questionnaire assessed total active transportation and active transportation to and around work. Mixed-effects regression tested relations of home and worksite neighborhood environments to each physical activity outcome, adjusted for demographics. Home and worksite mixed land use and street connectivity had the most consistent positive associations with physical activity outcomes. Worksite traffic and pedestrian safety were also associated with multiple physical activity outcomes. The worksite neighborhood explained additional variance in physical activity outcomes than explained by the home neighborhood. Worksite and home neighborhood environments interacted in explaining active transportation to work, with the greatest impacts occurring when both neighborhoods were activity supportive. Both worksite and home neighborhood environments were independently related to total MVPA and active transportation. Community design policies should target improving the physical activity supportiveness of worksite neighborhood environments and integrating commercial and residential development.

Acceptance and willingness to pay for solar home system: Survey evidence from northern area of Pakistan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdullah

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The importance of solar energy has been accepted worldwide for the generation of electricity, but unfortunately, Pakistan has yet to exert efforts on the development of this source of energy. The purpose of this research is to explore the public acceptance and interest in solar home system (SHS. Moreover, the expectations of the public towards SHS development in Pakistan and the difficulties they face in SHS usage are identified. The result of the survey indicates that about 81% of the respondents show higher interest in SHS. However, many respondents claim that some hindrances obstruct them from using SHS which includes; high cost of solar panels, lack of information and trust on solar panel providers. Almost 60% of the respondents expect that government provision of incentives could be the best way to boost the usage of SHS countrywide. For the successful implementation of new SHS policy, the government of Pakistan needs to establish solar power plants, increase installation of solar panels, provides funding and full information for conducting independent research. In addition, almost 90% of the respondents believe that government should take the lead in developing the SHS sector. Therefore, this study provides some valuable references for SHS promotion in Pakistan.

Smart home design and operation preferences of Americans and Koreans.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeong, Kyeong-Ah; Salvendy, Gavriel; Proctor, Robert W

2010-05-01

The purpose of the present study was to generate both culture-specific and universal design and operational guidelines for smart homes. Questionnaire surveys were performed in the USA and South Korea to collect data on preferences for various aspects of the design and operation of smart homes. The factors that the survey participants considered most important were derived through factor analyses of the survey data and the responses of Americans and Koreans were compared to generate culture-specific guidelines. The five factors derived were: 1) environmental connection and control; 2) smart devices (appliances) and their control; 3) physical safety and security concerns; 4) comfort and relaxation issues; 5) control restriction issues. The two cultures showed different preference structures with statistical significance for all five factors. Prediction capability of the derived factors was also examined through multiple regressions for buying intention, interest, self-vision of living, moving intention, living satisfaction and perceived time and effort savings. 'Environmental connection and control' and 'smart devices (appliances) and their control' seemed to be the most influential factors for Americans and Koreans, respectively. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: Analysis of a survey of design and operational preferences for smart homes yielded five factors on which US and South Korean respondents differed. These factors form the basis for culture-specific guidelines, which, along with universal guidelines, should be followed in design of user-centred smart homes.

Passive-solar: lessons from the past

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kennedy, R.

The article reports on a research project conducted in Tunisia, in which ancient underground Roman homes in Bulla Reggia and similar inhabited Berber homes in Matmata were studied. Data were gathered on the passive-solar gain, compass orientations, and room measurements of the homes, and on natural lighting techniques, ventilation systems, earth-sheltered construction methods, cooling concepts, and domestic water collection systems used for these ancient dwellings. In addition, numerous sun-facing hill towns, cliff dwellings, and underground villages in Italy, France, and Spain were visited, with data recorded on window, shutter, and vent details, vegetation for climate control, and design concepts for climate-responsive town planning.

Sacramento State Solar Decathlon 2015: Research Performance Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anderson, Mikael [California State Univ., Sacramento, CA (United States). Dept. of Construction Management

2017-03-14

Our primary objective is to design and build a 600-1000sf home that produces more energy than it consumes and to showcase this home at the 2015 Solar Decathlon in Irvine, CA. Further objectives are to educate consumers and home builders, alike (including K-12 students – the industry’s future consumers), inspire a shift towards the adoption of net-zero energy solutions in residential building, and to be a leader in the transformation of the California residential marketplace to a net-zero standard. Our specific mission statement for this project is as follows: Solar NEST strives to discover the future of sustainable, energy-efficient housing and deliver these innovations to home buyers at an affordable price. To make substantial improvements to conventional building methods with regard to aesthetics, performance, and affordability. Through our efforts, we aspire to bridge the gap between ‘what is’ and ‘what is possible’ by providing unique, elegant simplicity.

Steam generator design for solar towers using solar salt as heat transfer fluid

Science.gov (United States)

González-Gómez, Pedro Ángel; Petrakopoulou, Fontina; Briongos, Javier Villa; Santana, Domingo

2017-06-01

Since the operation of a concentrating solar power plant depends on the intermittent character of solar energy, the steam generator is subject to daily start-ups, stops and load variations. Faster start-up and load changes increase the plant flexibility and the daily energy production. However, it involves high thermal stresses on thick-walled components. Continuous operational conditions may eventually lead to a material failure. For these reasons, it is important to evaluate the transient behavior of the proposed designs in order to assure the reliability. The aim of this work is to analyze different steam generator designs for solar power tower plants using molten salt as heat transfer fluid. A conceptual steam generator design is proposed and associated heat transfer areas and steam drum size are calculated. Then, dynamic models for the main parts of the steam generator are developed to represent its transient performance. A temperature change rate that ensures safe hot start-up conditions is studied for the molten salt. The thermal stress evolution on the steam drum is calculated as key component of the steam generator.

Smashing UX design foundations for designing online user experiences

CERN Document Server

Allen, Jesmond

2012-01-01

The ultimate guide to UX from the world's most popular resource for web designers and developers Smashing Magazine is the world's most popular resource for web designers and developers and with this book, the authors provide the pinnacle resource to becoming savvy with User Experience Design (UX). The authors first provide an overview of UX and chart its rise to becoming a valuable and necessary practice for narrowing the gap between Web sites, applications, and users in order to make a user's experience a happy, easy, and successful one.Examines the essential aspects of User Experience Design

Design of a Heat Pump Assisted Solar Thermal System

OpenAIRE

Krockenberger, Kyle G.; DeGrove, John M.; Hutzel, William J.; Foreman, J. Christopher

2014-01-01

This paper outlines the design of an active solar thermal loop system that will be integrated with an air source heat pump hot water heater to provide highly efficient heating of a water/propylene glycol mixture. This system design uses solar energy when available, but reverts to the heat pump at night or during cloudy weather. This new design will be used for hydronic heating in the Applied Energy Laboratory, a teaching laboratory at Purdue University, but it is more generally applicable for...

The dish on the Solar Decathlon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meehan, Chris

2011-07-01

Within only one week, 19 collegiate teams had to build their technically-advanced, solar-powered, energy-efficient houses to wow judges and the public at this year's US Department of Energy's (DOE's) Solar Decathlon. The unassembled homes began arriving at the West Potomac Park of the National Mall in Washington, DC, at 11 p.m. on September 13. From then on it was a marathon to finish construction and compete in gauntlet of 10 events to test the designs. (orig.)

Novel Design for a Diffusive Solar Cell Window

OpenAIRE

Chen, Ruei-Tang; Kang, Chih-Chieh; Lin, Jeng-Feng; Chiou, Sheng-Wei; Cheng, Hung-Hsiang; Lai, Chih-Wen

2015-01-01

Building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) are an important application of future solar energy development. The incorporation of solar cells into windows must not only maintain indoor natural lighting but also generate electrical power at the same time. In our continuing effort to improve the design of diffusion solar window, a more fundamental and efficient three-layer structure—glass/EVA with TiO2 nanoparticles embedded/glass—was proposed. In this work, a well-established ASAP ray-tracing mod...

Design of a solar-assisted drying system using the double-pass solar collector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sopian, K.; Daud, W.R.; Supranto; Othman, M.Y.; Yatim, B.

2000-01-01

A solar-assisted drying system that uses the double-pass solar collector with porous media in the second channel has been designed and constructed at the Solar Energy Research Park, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. The drying system has a total of six double-pass solar collectors. Each collector has a length of 240 cm and a width of 120 cm. The upper channel depth is 3.5 cm and the lower channel depth is 10.5 cm. The lower channel is filled up with steel wool as the porous media. The solar collectors are arranged as 2 banks of 3 collectors each in series. Internal manifold are used to connect the collectors. An auxiliary heater source is installed to supply heat under unfavourable solar radiation conditions. An on/off controller is used to control the startup and shutdown of the auxiliary heater. An outlet temperature of 80-90 0 C can be achieved at a solar radiation range of 800-900 W/m 3 , ambient temperature of 29 degree C and flow rate of O.20 kg/s. (Author)

Solar cell array design handbook - The principles and technology of photovoltaic energy conversion

Science.gov (United States)

Rauschenbach, H. S.

1980-01-01

Photovoltaic solar cell array design and technology for ground-based and space applications are discussed from the user's point of view. Solar array systems are described, with attention given to array concepts, historical development, applications and performance, and the analysis of array characteristics, circuits, components, performance and reliability is examined. Aspects of solar cell array design considered include the design process, photovoltaic system and detailed array design, and the design of array thermal, radiation shielding and electromagnetic components. Attention is then given to the characteristics and design of the separate components of solar arrays, including the solar cells, optical elements and mechanical elements, and the fabrication, testing, environmental conditions and effects and material properties of arrays and their components are discussed.

Preliminary design package for prototype solar heating system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1978-12-01

A summary is given of the preliminary analysis and design activity on solar heating systems. The analysis was made without site specific ata other than weather; therefore, the results indicate performance expected under these special conditions. Major items in this report include systeem candidates, design approaches, trade studies and other special data required to evaluate the preliminary analysis and design. The program calls for the development and delivery of eight prototype solar heating and coolin systems for installation and operational test. Two-heating and six heating and cooling units will be delivered for Single Family Residences (SFR), Multi-Family Residences (MFR) and commercial applications.

Interior design preferences of residents, families, and staff in two nursing homes.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, D B; Goldman, L E; Woodman, S A

1985-01-01

The small number of respondents and the absence of specific demographic data concerning the three categories of respondents represented definite limitations. Further investigation in other long-term care facilities clearly is indicated. However, as a preliminary survey of preferences in nursing home interior design, several interesting findings have emerged: Patients, staff and families all emphasized patient safety and function over aesthetics. Yet, more residents than staff and families were concerned with appearance. Although experts advocate creating a home-like atmosphere in the nursing home, 50% or more of each group applied different criteria for specific design elements for private homes and for long-term care institutions. Design preferences for the three groups were similar, with an emphasis on modern furniture, painted walls, resilient tile rather than carpet, blinds, pastel and warm colors, and the use of paintings as accessories. Contrary to study assumptions, design features that promote patient individuality (e.g., patient artwork) received much greater emphasis from staff than from patients and families. Environmental change was considered an important aspect of interior design. Of the three constituencies, staff was most aware of periodic changes in decor and considered change as "very important" more often than did families or patients. As the nature of the nursing home patient population has changed--with residents presenting more disability and less rehabilitation potential and less likelihood of returning home--the ambiance of facilities has assumed even more importance. Clearly, the design preferences of residents who live in the facility are of paramount importance. However, it is also helpful to have an environment that is pleasing to family members who often experience difficulty in ongoing visitations, particularly to intellectually impaired relatives. Maintaining staff morale at a high level is a constant challenge in a long-term care

Indoor air quality in 24 California residences designed as high-performance homes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Less, Brennan [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Mullen, Nasim [Gap, Inc., San Francisco, CA (United States); Singer, Brett [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Walker, Iain [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2015-01-01

Today’s high performance green homes are reaching previously unheard of levels of airtightness and are using new materials, technologies and strategies, whose impacts on Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) cannot be fully anticipated from prior studies. This research study used pollutant measurements, home inspections, diagnostic testing and occupant surveys to assess IAQ in 24 new or deeply retrofitted homes designed to be high performance green buildings in California. Although the mechanically vented homes were six times as airtight as non-mechanically ventilated homes (medians of 1.1 and 6.1 ACH₅₀, n=11 and n=8, respectively), their use of mechanical ventilation systems and possibly window operation meant their median air exchange rates were almost the same (0.30 versus 0.32 hr^-1, n=8 and n=8, respectively). Pollutant levels were also similar in vented and unvented homes. In addition, these similarities were achieved despite numerous observed faults in complex mechanical ventilation systems. More rigorous commissioning is still recommended. Cooking exhaust systems were used inconsistently and several suffered from design flaws. Failure to follow best practices led to IAQ problems in some cases. Ambient nitrogen dioxide standards were exceeded or nearly so in four homes that either used gas ranges with standing pilots, or in Passive House-style homes that used gas cooking burners without venting range hoods. Homes without active particle filtration had particle count concentrations approximately double those in homes with enhanced filtration. The majority of homes reported using low-emitting materials; consistent with this, formaldehyde levels were approximately half those in conventional, new CA homes built before 2008. Emissions of ultrafine particles (with diameters <100 nm) were dramatically lower on induction electric cooktops, compared with either gas or resistance electric models. These results indicate that high performance homes can achieve

Building a design community for sustainable homes through configuration and open innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thuesen, Christian Langhoff; Jespersen, Kristina Risom

2009-01-01

. Furthermore will an idea space collect and rate ideas from the users. Through a combination of technical and user driven innovation the design community will act as a learning tool for the users and producers and thereby facilitate the development of a market for sustainable homes.......This paper presents a development project which aims to create a market place for sustainable homes – around a design community where the uses and producers collectively can develop new energy efficient solutions and thereby reduce the emmisson of CO2. The core functionality of the design community...... is a configurator where the users based on the produceres templates can design their own home at a selected address visualizing and estimating the energy consumption, total cost, CO2 emission etc. All the designs will be collected and rated in a design space creating transparency over the market and technologies...

Past, present and future of passive homes in solar village 3, Athens

Science.gov (United States)

Kalogridis, Achilles

Solar village 3 in Pefki, Athens, was part of an ambitious program for the promotion of solar technology, applied to a large scale social housing scheme, designed in mid 80's and firstly inhabited in the early 1990's. Among the aims of the project was the demonstration of the latest of technology in active solar systems and passive techniques, incorporated in a new settlement's layout and houses' building envelop, in order to create an energy saving, comfortable environment. More than fifteen years later, the housing complex remains the largest residential development of bioclimatic "solar" architecture in Athens, with the active and passive solar systems providing space and water heating for about 1750 inhabitants. The study focuses in the passive solar systems that have been applied to a number of the buildings of the settlement. The systems provide space heating with no need of any active mechanism, however with demand of the participation of the end users for their proper operation. The essay reviews various previous studies, monitoring reports and criticisms that have appeared throughout the past years, and identifies how the houses perform today, through a recent survey, sample monitoring and thermal comfort simulation. The report records things that have changed, features which worked well or others that did not and comments on the residents' behaviour. Interesting findings come into question, regarding the passive solar systems, their integration into the building's design, their current condition and their contribution to energy savings and thermal comfort conditions. Finally, current plans concerning the future of the settlement are highlighted, and considerations about the houses sustainability are suggested.

Lab at Home: Hardware Kits for a Digital Design Lab

Science.gov (United States)

Oliver, J. P.; Haim, F.

2009-01-01

An innovative laboratory methodology for an introductory digital design course is presented. Instead of having traditional lab experiences, where students have to come to school classrooms, a "lab at home" concept is proposed. Students perform real experiments in their own homes, using hardware kits specially developed for this purpose. They…

A new design for luminescent solar concentrating PV roof tiles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Doudart de la Gree, G.C.H.; Papadopoulos, A.; Debije, M.G.; Cox, M.G.D.M.; Krumer, Z.; Reinders, A.H.M.E.; Rosemann, A.L.P.

2015-01-01

In our paper we explore the opportunity of combining luminescent solar concentrating (LSC) materials and crystalline PV solar cells in a new design for a roof tile by design-driven research on the energy performance of various configurations of the LSC PV device and on the aesthetic appeal in a roof

Preliminary design package for solar heating and hot water system

Science.gov (United States)

1976-01-01

Two prototype solar heating and hot water systems for use in single-family dwellings or commercial buildings were designed. Subsystems included are: collector, storage, transport, hot water, auxiliary energy, and government-furnished site data acquisition. The systems are designed for Yosemite, California, and Pueblo, Colorado. The necessary information to evaluate the preliminary design for these solar heating and hot water systems is presented. Included are a proposed instrumentation plan, a training program, hazard analysis, preliminary design drawings, and other information about the design of the system.

Design and Realisation of a Parabolic Solar Cooker

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ouannene, M; Chaouachi, B; Gabsi, S

2009-01-01

The sun s energy is really powerful. Solar energy is renewable and it s free. We can use it to make electricity, to heat buildings and to cook. The field of cooking consumes many fossil fuels such as gas and wood. Million people cannot find enough gas and/or wood to cook, so using solar cookers is a good idea. During this work, we designed, built and studied a parabolic solar cooker. The characteristic equations and the experimental results are given

Home financing for new and existing energy efficient homes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

The video describes how the home federal savings and loan association in Rockford, IL, has developed lending standards for new conventional and solar homes. The nine standards are illustrated. The video follows the customer through the loan process, including an appraisal of energy efficient items, loan closing, and continuing education. The primary audience is savings and loan management personnel

Conceptual design of pilot scale solar dryer for seaweeds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marta Abreu de Las Villas (Cuba))" data-affiliation=" (Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Facultad de Química y Farmacia, Universidad Central Marta Abreu de Las Villas (Cuba))" >Roche-Delgado, Liset; Marta Abreu de Las Villas (Cuba))" data-affiliation=" (Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Facultad de Química y Farmacia, Universidad Central Marta Abreu de Las Villas (Cuba))" >Hernández-Touset, Juan Pedro; Marta Abreu de Las Villas (Cuba))" data-affiliation=" (Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Facultad de Química y Farmacia, Universidad Central Marta Abreu de Las Villas (Cuba))" >García-Rodríguez, Agustín

2017-01-01

Drying algal biomass with the use of solar radiation is an economical and environmentally compatible option. The aim of this work was to design an indirect solar dryer with natural air circulation for seaweeds drying. The equipment supports discrete quantities of wet biomass and is protected from environmental situations that may damage the product; it does not need electricity to operate and the construction and operating costs are low. This comprises a collector made of copper plates for air circulation, heated by solar radiation, a glass cover and drying trays with a wooden structure. The dryer was designed to obtain 0, 3 kg / day of dry biomass. The methodology allows construction and operation of a flexible solar dryer in different operating conditions for research on seaweeds. Correspondingly with environmental and operating conditions the design included estimation of drying time, the determination of drying area, number of trays, air flow from the collector to the trays, collector sizing; heat transfer area, temperature reached by air and collector efficiency. (author)

Preliminary Results on Design and Implementation of a Solar Radiation Monitoring System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lorentz Jäntschi

2008-02-01

Full Text Available The paper presents a solar radiation monitoring system, using two scientificpyranometers and an on-line computer home-made data acquisition system. The firstpyranometer measures the global solar radiation and the other one, which is shaded,measure the diffuse radiation. The values of total and diffuse solar radiation arecontinuously stored into a database on a server. Original software was created for dataacquisition and interrogation of the created system. The server application acquires the datafrom pyranometers and stores it into a database with a baud rate of one record at 50seconds. The client-server application queries the database and provides descriptivestatistics. A web interface allow to any user to define the including criteria and to obtainthe results. In terms of results, the system is able to provide direct, diffuse and totalradiation intensities as time series. Our client-server application computes also derivateheats. The ability of the system to evaluate the local solar energy potential is highlighted.

Optimal control design for a solar greenhouse

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ooteghem, van R.J.C.

2007-01-01

The research of this thesis was part of a larger project aiming at the design of a greenhouse and an associated climate control that achieves optimal crop production with sustainable instead of fossil energy. This so called solar greenhouse design extends a conventional greenhouse with an improved

High-flux solar concentration with imaging designs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feuermann, D. [Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Israel). Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research; Gordon, J.M. [Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Israel). Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research; Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Israel). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; Ries, H. [Ries and Partners, Munich (Germany)

1999-02-01

Most large solar concentrators designed for high flux concentration at high collection efficiency are based on imaging primary mirrors and nonimaging secondary concentrators. In this paper, we offer an alternative purely imaging two-stage solar concentrator that can attain high flux concentration at high collection efficiency. Possible practical virtues include: (1) an inherent large gap between absorber and secondary mirror; (2) a restricted angular range on the absorber; and (3) an upward-facing receiver where collected energy can be extracted via the (shaded) apex of the parabola. We use efficiency-concentration plots to characterize the solar concentrators considered, and to evaluate the potential improvements with secondary concentrators. (author)

Karasek Home, Blackstone, Massachusetts solar-energy-system performance evaluation, Nov. 1981 - Mar. 1982

Science.gov (United States)

Raymond, M.

1982-06-01

The Karasek Home is a single family Massachusetts residence whose active-solar-energy system is equipped with 640 square feet of trickle-down liquid flat-plate collectors, storage in a 300-gallon tank and a 2000-gallon tank embedded in a rock bin in the basement, and an oil-fired glass-lined 40-gallon domestic hot water tank for auxiliary water and space heating. Monthly performance data are tabulated for the overall system and for the collector, storage, space heating, and domestic hot water subsystems. For each month a graph is presented of collector array efficiency versus the difference between the inlet water temperature and ambient temperature divided by insolation. Typical system operation is illustrated by graphs of insolation and temperatures at different parts of the system versus time for a typical day. The typical system operating sequence for a day is also graphed as well as solar energy utilization and heat losses.

Testing, Performance and Reliability Evaluation of Charge Controllers for Solar Photovoltaic Home Lighting System in India

OpenAIRE

Adarsh Kumar; ChandraShekhar Sharma; Dr. Rajesh Kumar; Avinashkumar haldkar

2016-01-01

:Charge controller is the most important part of a Solar Photovoltaic Home LightingSystem (SPVHLS) which controls the charging ofbattery from photovoltaic (PV) module and discharging of battery through load. This paper analyzes testresults of fourteen charge controllers (CC) available in Indiaaccording to the Ministry of New and RenewableEnergy (MNRE) specification. The different parameters of charge controllers to be tested arebattery high voltage disconnect (HVD), lo...

Optimal design of solar water heating systems | Alemu | Zede Journal

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Solar water heating systems are usually designed using simplified equation of annual efficiency of the heating system from solar radiation incident on the collector during the year and empirical values of annual efficiency. The pe1formance of the preliminary design is predicted by using either/chart method or by translate it ...

An optimized metal grid design to improve the solar cell performance under solar concentration using multiobjective computation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Djeffal, F.; Bendib, T.; Arar, D.; Dibi, Z.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► A new MOGA-based approach to design the solar cell metal grid is proposed. ► The cell parameters have been ascertained including the high illumination effects. ► An improved electrical behavior of the solar cell is found. ► The proposed optimized metal grid design is suitable for photovoltaic applications. -- Abstract: In this paper, a new multiobjective genetic algorithm (MOGA)-based approach is proposed to optimize the metal grid design in order to improve the electrical performance and the conversion efficiency behavior of the solar cells under high intensities of illumination. The proposed approach is applied to investigate the effect of two different metal grid patterns (one with 2 busbars outside the active area (linear grid) and another one with a circular busbar surrounding the active area (circular grid)) on the electrical performance of high efficiency c-Si solar cells under concentrated light (up to 150 suns). The dimensional and electrical parameters of the solar cell have been ascertained, and analytical expressions of the power losses and conversion efficiency, including high illumination effects, have been presented. The presented analytical models are used to formulate different objective functions, which are the prerequisite of the multiobjective optimization. The optimized design can also be incorporated into photovoltaic circuit simulator to study the impact of our approach on the photovoltaic circuit design

Applications of ``PV Optics`` for solar cell and module design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sopori, B.L.; Madjdpour, J.; Chen, W. [National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)

1998-09-01

This paper describes some applications of a new optics software package, PV Optics, developed for the optical design of solar cells and modules. PV Optics is suitable for the analysis and design of both thick and thin solar cells. It also includes a feature for calculation of metallic losses related to contacts and back reflectors.

The environmental design of residential care facilities: A sense of home through the eyes of nursing home residents.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J. van Hoof; B.M Janssen; MD E.J.M. Wouters; C.J.M.L. van Dijck-Heinen

2014-01-01

C.J.M.L. van Dijck-Heinen, E.J.M. Wouters, B.M. Janssen, J. van Hoof (2014) The environmental design of residential care facilities: A sense of home through the eyes of nursing home residents. International Journal for Innovative Research in Science & Technology 1(4): 57-69

Absorber design for a Scheffler-Type Solar Concentrator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruelas, José; Palomares, Juan; Pando, Gabriel

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Receiver and absorber design methodology based in a solar image in the focal surface. • Stirling absorber dimensions based in a solar image in the focal surface of a STSC. • Comparative study of a solar image in the focal surface from different optical model. • A Monte-Carlo ray-tracing method was used to set STSC cavity receiver aperture. - Abstract: Ray tracing software, digital close range photogrammetry and the Monte-Carlo ray-tracing method have proven to be precise and efficient measurement techniques for the assessment of the shape accuracies of solar concentrators and their components. This paper presents a new method and results for the geometric aspect of a focal image for a Scheffler-Type Solar Concentrator (STSC) using ray tracing, digital close range photogrammetry and the Monte-Carlo ray-tracing method to establish parameters that allow for the design of the most suitable absorber and receiver geometry for coupling the STSC to a Stirling engine. The results of the ray tracing software, digital close range photogrammetry and Monte-Carlo ray tracing technique in STSC are associated with a Stirling receiver. When using the method to perform simulations, we found that the most suitable solar image geometry has an elliptical shape and area of 0.0065 m 2 on average. Although this result is appropriate, the geometry of the receiver is modified to fit an absorber and cavity receiver to improve the heat transfer by radiation

Design review of the Brazilian Experimental Solar Telescope

Science.gov (United States)

Dal Lago, A.; Vieira, L. E. A.; Albuquerque, B.; Castilho, B.; Guarnieri, F. L.; Cardoso, F. R.; Guerrero, G.; Rodríguez, J. M.; Santos, J.; Costa, J. E. R.; Palacios, J.; da Silva, L.; Alves, L. R.; Costa, L. L.; Sampaio, M.; Dias Silveira, M. V.; Domingues, M. O.; Rockenbach, M.; Aquino, M. C. O.; Soares, M. C. R.; Barbosa, M. J.; Mendes, O., Jr.; Jauer, P. R.; Branco, R.; Dallaqua, R.; Stekel, T. R. C.; Pinto, T. S. N.; Menconi, V. E.; Souza, V. M. C. E. S.; Gonzalez, W.; Rigozo, N.

2015-12-01

The Brazilian's National Institute for Space Research (INPE), in collaboration with the Engineering School of Lorena/University of São Paulo (EEL/USP), the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), and the Brazilian's National Laboratory for Astrophysics (LNA), is developing a solar vector magnetograph and visible-light imager to study solar processes through observations of the solar surface magnetic field. The Brazilian Experimental Solar Telescope is designed to obtain full disk magnetic field and line-of-sight velocity observations in the photosphere. Here we discuss the system requirements and the first design review of the instrument. The instrument is composed by a Ritchey-Chrétien telescope with a 500 mm aperture and 4000 mm focal length. LCD polarization modulators will be employed for the polarization analysis and a tuning Fabry-Perot filter for the wavelength scanning near the Fe II 630.25 nm line. Two large field-of-view, high-resolution 5.5 megapixel sCMOS cameras will be employed as sensors. Additionally, we describe the project management and system engineering approaches employed in this project. As the magnetic field anchored at the solar surface produces most of the structures and energetic events in the upper solar atmosphere and significantly influences the heliosphere, the development of this instrument plays an important role in advancing scientific knowledge in this field. In particular, the Brazilian's Space Weather program will benefit most from the development of this technology. We expect that this project will be the starting point to establish a strong research program on Solar Physics in Brazil. Our main aim is to progressively acquire the know-how to build state-of-art solar vector magnetograph and visible-light imagers for space-based platforms.

Solar Energy and You.

Science.gov (United States)

Conservation and Renewable Energy Inquiry and Referral Service (DOE), Silver Spring, MD.

This booklet provides an introduction to solar energy by discussing: (1) how a home is heated; (2) how solar energy can help in the heating process; (3) the characteristics of passive solar houses; (4) the characteristics of active solar houses; (5) how solar heat is stored; and (6) other uses of solar energy. Also provided are 10 questions to…

Solar project description for homes by Marilynn multi-family residence, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, D.

1981-03-01

The system is designed to provide solar energy for space heating and preheating DHW. Solar energy is collected by 18 liquid flat plate collectors with a gross area of 346 square feet. Solar energy is transferred from the collector array to a 1000 gallon storage tank. Freeze protection is provided by a 50% ethylene glycol and 50% water. Solar energy is delivered to a liquid-to-air heat exchanger in the space heating subsystem in order to preheat outside air for the heat pump. Preheated city water is stored in a 30 gallon preheat storage tank and supplied, on demand, to a conventional 40 gallon DHW tank.

CO2 emissions mitigation potential of solar home systems under clean development mechanism in India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purohit, Pallav

2009-01-01

The Government of India has taken several initiatives for promotion of solar energy systems in the country during the last two decades. A variety of policy measures have been adopted which include provision of financial and fiscal incentives to the potential users of solar energy systems however, only 0.4 million solar home systems (SHSs) have been installed so far that is far below their respective potential. One of the major barriers is the high costs of investments in these systems. The clean development mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol provides industrialized (Annex-I) countries with an incentive to invest in emission reduction projects in developing (non-Annex-I) countries to achieve a reduction in carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions at lowest cost that also promotes sustainable development in the host country. SHSs could be of interest under the CDM because they directly displace greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while contributing to sustainable rural development, if developed correctly. In this study an attempt has been made to estimate the CO 2 mitigation potential of SHSs under CDM in India.

NCSU solar energy and conservation house. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1981-10-01

A passive solar energy house has been built adjacent to the NCSU McKimmon Continuing Education Center. The house contains a two-story embedded sunspace, two Trombe walls, active solar hot water heating, thermal storage in a rock filled ceiling/floor, and numerous research treatments, and energy conservation features. (See attached photo brochure; Appendix 1). The house is completely decorated and furnished in an attractive manner and the exterior architecture is traditional and has broad consumer appeal. It is also thoroughly instrumented to monitor performance. The house is open to the public on weekends and numerous people come to visit on their own initiative and others take advantage of the close proximity to McKimmon while there attending conferences. The house will influence and motivate large numbers of people to consider solar and energy conservation facets in their homes and will provide data to substantiate performance to prospective home buyers and meaningful data on design and construction for builders.

Passive and hybrid solar manufactured housing and buildings. [Includes architectural drawings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scholz, D; Bowling, C; Winter, S; Levy, E; Marks, R; Zgolinski, A

1980-01-01

The final design work on a passive solar two story modular home to be built by Unibilt Industries is summarized. After reviewing alternative insulation, glazing, and water wall schemes, five options were identified for detailed energy use and life cycle cost analysis. Using the PASCALC/SLR analysis procedure, the performance of the base case home and each of the energy conservation options was calculated. (MHR)

Development of eHOME, a Mobile Instrument for Reporting, Monitoring, and Consulting Drug-Related Problems in Home Care: Human-Centered Design Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Dijkstra, Nienke Elske; Sino, Carolina Geertruida Maria; Heerdink, Eibert Rob; Schuurmans, Marieke Joanna

2018-03-07

Home care patients often use many medications and are prone to drug-related problems (DRPs). For the management of problems related to drug use, home care could add to the multidisciplinary expertise of general practitioners (GPs) and pharmacists. The home care observation of medication-related problems by home care employees (HOME)-instrument is paper-based and assists home care workers in reporting potential DRPs. To facilitate the multiprofessional consultation, a digital report of DRPs from the HOME-instrument and digital monitoring and consulting of DRPs between home care and general practices and pharmacies is desired. The objective of this study was to develop an electronic HOME system (eHOME), a mobile version of the HOME-instrument that includes a monitoring and a consulting system for primary care. The development phase of the Medical Research Council (MRC) framework was followed in which an iterative human-centered design (HCD) approach was applied. The approach involved a Delphi round for the context of use and user requirements analysis of the digital HOME-instrument and the monitoring and consulting system followed by 2 series of pilots for testing the usability and redesign. By using an iterative design approach and by involving home care workers, GPs, and pharmacists throughout the process as informants, design partners, and testers, important aspects that were crucial for system realization and user acceptance were revealed. Through the report webpage interface, which includes the adjusted content of the HOME-instrument and added home care practice-based problems, home care workers can digitally report observed DRPs. Furthermore, it was found that the monitoring and consulting webpage interfaces enable digital consultation between home care and general practices and pharmacies. The webpages were considered convenient, clear, easy, and usable. By employing an HCD approach, the eHOME-instrument was found to be an easy-to-use system. The systematic

Instrument Design of the Large Aperture Solar UV Visible and IR Observing Telescope (SUVIT) for the SOLAR-C Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Suematsu, Y.; Katsukawa, Y.; Shimizu, T.; Ichimoto, K.; Takeyama, N.

2012-12-01

We present an instrumental design of one major solar observation payload planned for the SOLAR-C mission: the Solar Ultra-violet Visible and near IR observing Telescope (SUVIT). The SUVIT is designed to provide high-angular-resolution investigation of the lower solar atmosphere, from the photosphere to the uppermost chromosphere, with enhanced spectroscopic and spectro-polarimetric capability in wide wavelength regions from 280 nm (Mg II h&k lines) to 1100 nm (He I 1083 nm line) with 1.5 m class aperture and filtergraphic and spectrographic instruments.

Design of Smart Home Systems Prototype Using MyRIO

Science.gov (United States)

Ratna Wati, Dwi Ann; Abadianto, Dika

2017-06-01

This paper presents the design of smart home systems prototype. It applies. MyRIO 1900 embedded device as the main controller of the smart home systems. The systems include wireless monitoring systems and email based notifications as well as data logging. The prototype systems use simulated sensor such as temperature sensor, push button as proximity sensor, and keypad while its simulated actuators are buzzer as alarm system, LED as light and LCD. Based on the test and analysis, the smart home systems prototype as well as the wireless monitoring systems have real time responses when input signals are available. Tbe performance of MyRIO controller is excellent and it results in a stable system.

Wireless transmission of metering data from a photovoltaic solar ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The data from direct cable connection was highly reliable because data ... aggregated solar home systems instead of establishing grid connected solar farms. ... Key words: PV solar home system, DC power meter, GSM, data adaptor software ...

STDAC: Solar Thermal Design Assistance Center annual report fiscal year 1994

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1994-12-31

The Solar Thermal Design Assistance Center (STDAC) at Sandia is a resource provided by the DOE Solar Thermal Program. The STDAC`s major objective is to accelerate the use of solar thermal systems by providing direct technical assistance to users in industry, government, and foreign countries; cooperating with industry to test, evaluate, and develop renewable energy systems and components; and educating public and private professionals, administrators, and decision makers. This FY94 report highlights the activities and accomplishments of the STDAC. In 1994, the STDAC continued to provide significant direct technical assistance to domestic and international organizations in industry, government, and education, Applying solar thermal technology to solve energy problems is a vital element of direct technical assistance. The STDAC provides information on the status of new, existing, and developing solar technologies; helps users screen applications; predicts the performance of components and systems; and incorporates the experience of Sandia`s solar energy personnel and facilities to provide expert guidance. The STDAC directly enhances the US solar industry`s ability to successfully bring improved systems to the marketplace. By collaborating with Sandia`s Photovoltaic Design Assistance Center and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory the STDAC is able to offer each customer complete service in applying solar thermal technology. At the National Solar Thermal Test Facility the STDAC tests and evaluates new and innovative solar thermal technologies. Evaluations are conducted in dose cooperation with manufacturers, and the results are used to improve the product and/or quantify its performance characteristics. Manufacturers, in turn, benefit from the improved design, economic performance, and operation of their solar thermal technology. The STDAC provides cost sharing and in-kind service to manufacturers in the development and improvement of solar technology.

Feasibility and Basic Design of Solar Integrated Absorption Refrigeration for an Industry

KAUST Repository

Akhtar, Saad

2015-08-28

This paper presents a review of existing solar cooling technologies and a feasibility study of a solar absorption cooling system for a packaging facility at Tetrapak Lahore, Pakistan. The review includes brief description of existing chiller technologies and solar collectors. The case study includes analysis of the solar potential and design of the cooling system at considered site. The design calculations upon which the feasibility analysis is carried out are solar collector area and type, cooling capacity, cooling area. A comparison is made between solar cooling potential of Pakistan and existing sites all across the globe. Finally an economic analysis is carried out to demonstrate the financial viability of the new cooling system.

Design and realization of an autonomous solar system

Science.gov (United States)

Gaga, A.; Diouri, O.; Es-sbai, N.; Errahimi, F.

2017-03-01

The aim of this work is the design and realization of an autonomous solar system, with MPPT control, a regulator charge/discharge of batteries, an H-bridge multi-level inverter with acquisition system and supervising based on a microcontroller. The proposed approach is based on developing a software platform in the LabVIEW environment which gives the system a flexible structure for controlling, monitoring and supervising the whole system in real time while providing power maximization and best quality of energy conversion from DC to AC power. The reliability of the proposed solar system is validated by the simulation results on PowerSim and experimental results achieved with a solar panel, a Lead acid battery, solar regulator and an H-bridge cascaded topology of single-phase inverter.

The Design And Development Of Solar Maize Dryer With Subsidiary ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A solar Dryer with a subsidiary heating source for drying maize seed is designed and constructed. The dryer is made up a solar collector (heat source), the drying chamber (Product storage), and a subsidiary heating source (local oil). The plant when put in operation by expositing it to the solar rays, is capable of attaining a ...

Optimal design of compact organic Rankine cycle units for domestic solar applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barbazza, Luca; Pierobon, Leonardo; Mirandola, Alberto

2014-01-01

criteria, i.e., compactness, high performance and safe operation, are targeted by adopting a multi-objective optimization approach modeled with the genetic algorithm. Design-point thermodynamic variables, e.g., evaporating pressure, the working fluid, minimum allowable temperature differences......Organic Rankine cycle turbogenerators are a promising technology to transform the solar radiation harvested by solar collectors into electric power. The present work aims at sizing a small-scale organic Rankine cycle unit by tailoring its design for domestic solar applications. Stringent design...

Emerging Semitransparent Solar Cells: Materials and Device Design.

Science.gov (United States)

Tai, Qidong; Yan, Feng

2017-09-01

Semitransparent solar cells can provide not only efficient power-generation but also appealing images and show promising applications in building integrated photovoltaics, wearable electronics, photovoltaic vehicles and so forth in the future. Such devices have been successfully realized by incorporating transparent electrodes in new generation low-cost solar cells, including organic solar cells (OSCs), dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) and organometal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In this review, the advances in the preparation of semitransparent OSCs, DSCs, and PSCs are summarized, focusing on the top transparent electrode materials and device designs, which are all crucial to the performance of these devices. Techniques for optimizing the efficiency, color and transparency of the devices are addressed in detail. Finally, a summary of the research field and an outlook into the future development in this area are provided. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Does Not Compute: The High Cost of Low Technology Skills in the U.S.--and What We Can Do about It. Vital Signs: Reports on the Condition of STEM Learning in the U.S.

Science.gov (United States)

Change the Equation, 2015

2015-01-01

Although American millennials are the first generation of "digital natives"--that is, people who grew up with computers and the internet--they are not very tech savvy. Using technology for social networking, surfing the web, or taking selfies is a far cry from using it to solve complex problems at work or at home. Truly tech savvy people…

Putting solar home system programmes into perspective: What lessons are relevant?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vleuten, F. van der; Stam, N.; Plas, R. van der

2007-01-01

Solar Home Systems (SHSs) have gradually become a household name in Africa. Pioneering efforts to make a new technology available to rural households have over the years developed into a few mass markets for the 'base of the pyramid'. This paper focuses on the lessons that can be learned from these experiences. Have policy makers and donors supported SHSs in an efficient way? Are they a luxury item or an essential element in the development process? Can they trigger or facilitate rural electrification? The answer to these questions is that photovoltaic (PV) systems can play a useful role for rural development and rural electrification purposes, but the desire to deploy them on a more massive scale to rural Africans demands a new type of energy policy support, creating new partnerships with local SMEs

EMOTION DESIGN OF AN ICONIC (VOLKSWAGEN) CAMPERVAN

OpenAIRE

Kagali, Linus

2014-01-01

This research looks into the thinking and the process of re-design a piece of automotive icon, the Volkswagen campervan known as T1 or microbus. The campervan re-designed with new visual language, and emotions. The re-designed campervan is intended for the new generation of campers and outdoor seekers, a generation of tech savvy people in a world which is rapidly and gradually changing. The need of understanding the relationship between design and emotions fuelled this design project, bas...

Selling photovoltaics at the top of the world. Marketing strategy for Solar Home Systems in Nepal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thieke, O.; Parodi, O.; Schweizer, P. [Fraunhofer Inst. for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), Freiburg (Germany)

1996-12-31

In this paper a marketing strategy for Solar home systems (SHS) in the Solu Khumbu region of Nepal is presented. Four scenarios for distribution and service were developed and analysed using a break even analysis. The outcome of the study is that the most promising way for a successful market entry is provided by a not too dense sales network in the region itself, a three year warranty and a annual maintenance service. (orig.)

Design data brochure: Solar hot air heater

Science.gov (United States)

1978-01-01

The design, installation, performance, and application of a solar hot air heater for residential, commercial and industrial use is reported. The system has been installed at the Concho Indian School in El Reno, Oklahoma.

Design, Construction and Effectiveness Analysis of Hybrid Automatic Solar Tracking System for Amorphous and Crystalline Solar Cells

OpenAIRE

Bhupendra Gupta

2013-01-01

- This paper concerns the design and construction of a Hybrid solar tracking system. The constructed device was implemented by integrating it with Amorphous & Crystalline Solar Panel, three dimensional freedom mechanism and microcontroller. The amount of power available from a photovoltaic panel is determined by three parameters, the type of solar tracker, materials of solar panel and the intensity of the sunlight. The objective of this paper is to present analysis on the use of two differ...

A policy proposal for the introduction of solar home systems in East Timor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bond, M.; Fuller, R.J.; Aye, Lu [The University of Melbourne, Victoria (AU). Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, International Technologies Centre (IDTC)

2007-12-15

The Government of East Timor aims to increase the rate of household electricity service from 20% to 80% over the next 20 years. With a largely rural population living in sparsely populated, remote locations, solar home systems (SHS) will play an important role in meeting the off-grid component of rural electrification in East Timor. This paper describes current experience and trials in East Timor with solar photovoltaic (PV) technology. It examines the East Timorese context against six 'key features' identified by the World Bank as typically included in solar PV projects: delivery infrastructure; access to finance; rural electrification policy; guarantees for minimum quality; understanding of customer needs; and scaling up capacity building. Of these issues, the authors contend that selection of the delivery infrastructure model is the most critical decision, and that for East Timor, in its present stage of development, a market-driven approach for SHS is unlikely to be successful. A model which subsidises capital costs but seeks full recovery of operating costs is recommended. Irrespective of the delivery infrastructure model, for sustainability, capacity must be developed in a range of other areas, particularly the commercial availability of high-quality components and spare parts; creation of a pool of skilled technicians for installation and maintenance; and development of a robust fee collection and maintenance infrastructure. (author)

A policy proposal for the introduction of solar home systems in East Timor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bond, M.; Fuller, R.J.; Aye, Lu

2007-01-01

The Government of East Timor aims to increase the rate of household electricity service from 20% to 80% over the next 20 years. With a largely rural population living in sparsely populated, remote locations, solar home systems (SHS) will play an important role in meeting the off-grid component of rural electrification in East Timor. This paper describes current experience and trials in East Timor with solar photovoltaic (PV) technology. It examines the East Timorese context against six 'key features' identified by the World Bank as typically included in solar PV projects: delivery infrastructure; access to finance; rural electrification policy; guarantees for minimum quality; understanding of customer needs; and scaling up capacity building. Of these issues, the authors contend that selection of the delivery infrastructure model is the most critical decision, and that for East Timor, in its present stage of development, a market-driven approach for SHS is unlikely to be successful. A model which subsidises capital costs but seeks full recovery of operating costs is recommended. Irrespective of the delivery infrastructure model, for sustainability, capacity must be developed in a range of other areas, particularly the commercial availability of high-quality components and spare parts; creation of a pool of skilled technicians for installation and maintenance; and development of a robust fee collection and maintenance infrastructure

Probing a Proactive Home: Challenges in Researching and Designing Everyday Smart Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frans Mäyrä

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Based on the results of a 3-year interdisciplinary study, this article presents an approach in which proactive information technology was introduced into homes, and discusses the derived design principles from a human-centered perspective. The application of proactive computing in homes will face particularly sensitive conditions, as familiar and reliable household elements remain strongly preferred. Since there is considerable resistance towards the increase of information technology in homes, both the calm system behaviors and the degree of variety in aesthetic designs will play major roles in the acceptance of proactive technology. If proactive technology will be an embedded part of a home’s structures and furniture, it needs to blend with the normal, cozy standards of a real living environment and aim to enhance the homeyness or the key social and aesthetic qualities of homes.

Inclusive design for a care home

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Raudaskoski, Pirkko Liisa

2011-01-01

Nordic Conference on Activity Theory and the Forth Finnish Conference on Cultural and Activity Research (FISCAR10) Proceedings ISBN 987-952-60-0021-3 p. 160 INCLUSIVE DESIGN FOR A CARE HOME Pirkko Raudaskoski The paper discusses the methodological challenges of both theorizing and implementing...... communication skills with language or by other means. Instead, others will have to mediate their experiences. These accounts are necessarily (value-laden) transformations that can be problematic also due to the sudden identity change for the occupant from a ‘normal’ person to a ‘disabled’ person and the wish...... for the people around to restore the ‘old version’ of the person. Is there space for disability advocacy in this environment? Büscher, M., O’Neille, J., Rooksby, J. 2009. Designing for diagnosing. CSCW 18. Keinonen, T. 2007. Immediate, product and remote design. IASDR07....

Preliminary design package for solar hot water system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fogle, Val; Aspinwall, David B.

1977-12-01

The information necessary to evaluate the preliminary design of the Solar Engineering and Manufacturing Company's (SEMCO) solar hot water system is presented. This package includes technical information, schematics, drawings and brochures. This system, being developed by SEMCO, consists of the following subsystems: collector, storage, transport, control, auxiliary energy, and Government-furnished site data acquisition. The two units being manufactured will be installed at Loxahatchee, Florida, and Macon, Georgia.

design and experimental study of a solar system for heating water ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

M. Ghodbane, B. Boumeddane, N. Said

2016-09-01

Sep 1, 2016 ... This work presents a design and an experimental study of a linear Fresnel reflector solar with trapezoidal cavity. ... concentrator in the solar fields allocated to the domestics and industrial water-heaters. Keywords: ...... integrated photovoltaic panels, Journal of Solar Energy Engineering, Transactions of the ...

Water heating solar system for popular houses; Sistema solar de aquecimento de agua para residencias populares

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mogawer, Tamer; Souza, Teofilo Miguel de [Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Guaratingueta, SP (Brazil). Centro de Energias Renovaveis], e-mail: teofilo@feg.unesp.br

2004-07-01

In this paper we present a case study for the design of a low cost solar heating system for a popular residence in an isolated rural community in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. This scaling can be extended to several rural communities that are in the same situation in Brazil as well as the wider use of solar power between the low-income people who do not have the benefits of electricity in their homes or want to have a lower cost of electricity. In this context, there are very interesting alternatives, among which is the replacement of electric heating bath water by heating by solar energy. According to several sources the electric shower, as it is now simple and extremely cheap, is the villain of the national electrical system. It is used in peak hours of consumption, something like 10% of electric generating capacity installed in Brazil, forcing many industries to switch off the machines because of the high cost of electricity during this period. Using the heating by solar energy, we can reduce consumption of electric shower and also increase the use of clean energy in popular homes and in isolated rural communities. This paper will address the use of solar energy with the basic purpose of heating water for bathing in popular residences and in isolated rural areas, using low cost systems, built with easily materials that is found in any area of the country. (author)

Design and operation of the national home health aide survey: 2007-2008.

Science.gov (United States)

Bercovitz, Anita; Moss, Abigail J; Sengupta, Manisha; Harris-Kojetin, Lauren D; Squillace, Marie R; Emily, Rosenoff; Branden, Laura

2010-03-01

This report provides an overview of the National Home Health Aide Survey (NHHAS), the first national probability survey of home health aides. NHHAS was designed to provide national estimates of home health aides who provided assistance in activities of daily living (ADLs) and were directly employed by agencies that provide home health and/or hospice care. This report discusses the need for and objectives of the survey, the design process, the survey methods, and data availability. METHODS NHHAS, a multistage probability sample survey, was conducted as a supplement to the 2007 National Home and Hospice Care Survey (NHHCS). Agencies providing home health and/or hospice care were sampled, and then aides employed by these agencies were sampled and interviewed by telephone. Survey topics included recruitment, training, job history, family life, client relations, work-related injuries, and demographics. NHHAS was virtually identical to the 2004 National Nursing Assistant Survey of certified nursing assistants employed in sampled nursing homes with minor changes to account for differences in workplace environment and responsibilities. RESULTS From September 2007 to April 2008, interviews were completed with 3,416 aides. A public-use data file that contains the interview responses, sampling weights, and design variables is available. The NHHAS overall response rate weighted by the inverse of the probability of selection was 41 percent. This rate is the product of the weighted first-stage agency response rate of 57 percent (i.e., weighted response rate of 59 percent for agency participation in NHHCS times the weighted response rate of 97 percent for agencies participating in NHHCS that also participated in NHHAS) and the weighted second-stage aide response rate of 72 percent to NHHAS.

Solar Energy Basics | NREL

Science.gov (United States)

Solar Energy Basics Solar Energy Basics Solar is the Latin word for sun-a powerful source of energy that can be used to heat, cool, and light our homes and businesses. That's because more energy from the technologies convert sunlight to usable energy for buildings. The most commonly used solar technologies for

Design and installation package for a solar powered pump

Science.gov (United States)

1978-01-01

The design and installation procedures of a solar powered pump developed by Calmac Manufacturing Company are presented. Subsystem installation, operation and maintenance requirements, subsystem performance specifications, and detailed design drawings are included.

Progress and Design Concerns of Nanostructured Solar Energy Harvesting Devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Leung, Siu-Fung; Zhang, Qianpeng; Tavakoli, Mohammad Mahdi; He, Jin; Mo, Xiaoliang; Fan, Zhiyong

2016-05-01

Integrating devices with nanostructures is considered a promising strategy to improve the performance of solar energy harvesting devices such as photovoltaic (PV) devices and photo-electrochemical (PEC) solar water splitting devices. Extensive efforts have been exerted to improve the power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of such devices by utilizing novel nanostructures to revolutionize device structural designs. The thicknesses of light absorber and material consumption can be substantially reduced because of light trapping with nanostructures. Meanwhile, the utilization of nanostructures can also result in more effective carrier collection by shortening the photogenerated carrier collection path length. Nevertheless, performance optimization of nanostructured solar energy harvesting devices requires a rational design of various aspects of the nanostructures, such as their shape, aspect ratio, periodicity, etc. Without this, the utilization of nanostructures can lead to compromised device performance as the incorporation of these structures can result in defects and additional carrier recombination. The design guidelines of solar energy harvesting devices are summarized, including thin film non-uniformity on nanostructures, surface recombination, parasitic absorption, and the importance of uniform distribution of photo-generated carriers. A systematic view of the design concerns will assist better understanding of device physics and benefit the fabrication of high performance devices in the future. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Newman Unit 1 advanced solar repowering advanced conceptual design. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1982-04-01

The Newman Unit 1 solar repowering design is a water/steam central receiver concept supplying superheated steam. The work reported is to develop a refined baseline conceptual design that has potential for construction and operation by 1986, makes use of existing solar thermal technology, and provides the best economics for this application. Trade studies performed in the design effort are described, both for the conceptual design of the overall system and for the subsystem conceptual design. System-level functional requirements, design, operation, performance, cost, safety, environmental, institutional, and regulatory considerations are described. Subsystems described include the collector, receiver, fossil energy, electrical power generating, and master control subsystems, site and site facilities. The conceptual design, cost, and performance of each subsystem is discussed at length. A detailed economic analysis of the repowered unit is made to realistically assess the economics of the first repowered unit using present cost data for a limited production level for solar hardware. Finally, a development plan is given, including the design, procurement, construction, checkout, startup, performance validation, and commercial operation. (LEW)

Consumer protection issues in energy: a guide for attorneys general. Insulation, solar, automobile device, home devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cohen, Harry I.; Hulse, William S.; Jones, Robert R.; Langer, Robert M.; Petrucelli, Paul J.; Schroeder, Robert J.

1979-11-01

The guide attempts to bring together two important and current issues: energy and consumer protection. Perhaps the most basic consumer-protection issue in the energy area is assuring adequate supplies at adequate prices. It is anticipated, though, that consumers will want to consider new ways to lower enegy consumption and cost, and will thus be susceptible to fraudulent energy claims. Information is prepared on insulation, solar, energy-saving devices for the home, and energy-saving devices for the automobile.

Banking on Solar: Debt Finance in Today's Distributed Market (Poster)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Louder, T.

2014-10-01

Over the last two years, several entities - from banks to credit unions to solar finance companies -have rolled out distributed solar-specific loan programs in the United States. These solar-specific loans are a distinct loan in that the underwriting, loan terms, lender security interest, and other programmatic aspects are designed exclusively for the financing of solar installations. Until recently, loan financing for distributed solar installations was largely through home equity loans, commercial loans, and other standardized loan products available to homeowners and businesses for general expenditures. However, as the U.S. solar market matures, so too are its financing options, and solar-specific loans stand to gain market share. This poster was presented at the Solar Power International conference in Las Vegas, NV in October 2014.

Toward Highly Efficient Nanostructured Solar Cells Using Concurrent Electrical and Optical Design

KAUST Repository

Wang, Hsin-Ping

2017-07-11

Recent technological advances in conventional planar and microstructured solar cell architectures have significantly boosted the efficiencies of these devices near the corresponding theoretical values. Nanomaterials and nanostructures have promising potential to push the theoretical limits of solar cell efficiency even higher using the intrinsic advantages associated with these materials, including efficient photon management, rapid charge transfer, and short charge collection distances. However, at present the efficiency of nanostructured solar cells remains lower than that of conventional solar devices due to the accompanying losses associated with the employment of nanomaterials. The concurrent design of both optical and electrical components will presumably be an imperative route toward breaking the present-day limit of nanostructured solar cells. This review summarizes the losses in traditional solar cells, and then discusses recent advances in applications of nanotechnology to solar devices from both optical and electrical perspectives. Finally, a rule for nanostructured solar cells by concurrently engineering the optical and electrical design is devised. Following these guidelines should allow for exceeding the theoretical limit of solar cell efficiency soon.

Optimal design and control of solar driven air gap membrane distillation desalination systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Yih-Hang; Li, Yu-Wei; Chang, Hsuan

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Air gap membrane distillation unit was used in the desalination plants. ► Aspen Custom Molder was used to simulate each unit of desalination plants. ► Design parameters were investigated to obtain the minimum total annual cost. ► The control structure was proposed to operate desalination plants all day long. -- Abstract: A solar heated membrane distillation desalination system is constructed of solar collectors and membrane distillation devices for increasing pure water productivity. This technically and economically feasible system is designed to use indirect solar heat to drive membrane distillation processes to overcome the unstable supply of solar radiation from sunrise to sunset. The solar heated membrane distillation desalination system in the present study consisted of hot water storage devices, heat exchangers, air gap membrane distillation units, and solar collectors. Aspen Custom Molder (ACM) software was used to model and simulate each unit and establish the cost function of a desalination plant. From Design degree of freedom (DOF) analysis, ten design parameters were investigated to obtain the minimum total annual cost (TAC) with fixed pure water production rate. For a given solar energy density profile of typical summer weather, the minimal TAC per 1 m 3 pure water production can be found at 500 W/m 2 by varying the solar energy intensity. Therefore, we proposed two modes for controlling the optimal design condition of the desalination plant; day and night. In order to widen the operability range of the plant, the sensitivity analysis was used to retrofit the original design point to lower the effluent temperature from the solar collector by increasing the hot water recycled stream. The simulation results show that the pure water production can be maintained at a very stable level whether in sunny or cloudy weather.

Indoor Air Quality in 24 California Residences Designed as High-Performance Homes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Less, Brennan [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Mullen, Nasim [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Singer, Brett [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Walker, Iain [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2015-07-01

Today’s high performance green homes are reaching previously unheard of levels of airtightness and are using new materials, technologies and strategies, whose impacts on Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) cannot be fully anticipated from prior studies. This research study used pollutant measurements, home inspections, diagnostic testing and occupant surveys to assess IAQ in 24 new or deeply retrofitted homes designed to be high performance green buildings in California.

Building Design Guidelines for Solar Energy Technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Givoni, B.

1989-01-01

There are two main objectives to this publication. The first is to find out the communalities in the experience gained in previous studies and in actual applications of solar technologies in buildings, residential as well as nonresidential. The second objective is to review innovative concepts and products which may have an impact on future developments and applications of solar technologies in buildings. The available information and common lessons were collated and presented in a form which, hopefully, is useful for architects and solar engineers, as well as for teachers of "solar architecture" and students in Architectural Schools. The publication is based mainly on the collection and analysis of relevant information. The information included previous studies in which the performance of solar buildings was evaluated, as well as the personal experience of the Author and the research consultants. The state of the art, as indicated by these studies and personal experience, was summarized and has served as basis for the development of the Design Guidelines. In addition to the summary of the state of the art, as was already applied in solar buildings, an account was given of innovative concepts and products. Such innovations have occurred in the areas of thermal storage by Phase Change Materials (PCM) and in glazing with specialized or changeable properties. Interesting concepts were also developed for light transfer, which may enable to transfer sunlight to the core areas of large multi story nonresidential buildings. These innovations may have a significant impact on future developments of solar technologies and their applications in buildings.

The Healthy Home Offerings via the Mealtime Environment (HOME) Plus study: Design and methods1

Science.gov (United States)

Fulkerson, Jayne A.; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne; Story, Mary; Gurvich, Olga; Kubik, Martha Y.; Garwick, Ann; Dudovitz, Bonnie

2014-01-01

Background Informed and engaged parents and healthful home environments are essential for the health of youth. Although research has shown health benefits associated with family meals, to date, no randomized controlled trial (RCT) has been developed to examine the impact of a family meals intervention on behavioral and health outcomes. Methods/Design The Healthy Home Offerings via the Mealtime Environment (HOME) Plus study is a two-arm (intervention versus attention-only control) RCT being conducted in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Built on previous pilot research, HOME Plus aims to increase the frequency and healthfulness of family meals and snacks and reduce children’s sedentary behavior, particularly screen time, to promote healthier eating and activity behaviors and prevent obesity. HOME Plus is delivered to families in community settings. The program includes 10 monthly sessions focused on nutrition and activity education, meal planning and preparation skill development. In addition, five motivational goal-setting phone calls are conducted with parents. The primary outcome measure is age- and gender-adjusted child BMI-z score at post-intervention by treatment group. Secondary household-level outcomes include family meal frequency, home availability of healthful foods (fruits/vegetables) and unhealthful foods (high-fat/sugary snacks) and beverages (sugar-sweetened beverages), and the quality of foods served at meals and snacks. Secondary child outcomes include dietary intake of corresponding foods and beverages and screen time. Conclusions The HOME Plus RCT actively engages whole families of 8–12 year old children to promote healthier eating and activity behaviors and prevent obesity through promotion of family meals and snacks and limited media use. PMID:24480729

Design, Construction and Testing of Simple Solar Maize Dryer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joshua FOLARANMI

2008-12-01

Full Text Available This project reports the design, construction and testing of a simple solar maize dryer. It is design in such a way that solar radiation is not incident directly on the maize, but preheated air warmed during its flow through a low pressure thermosphonic solar energy air heater or collector made up of an insulating material (polystyrene of size 100mmx50mmx25.4mm, absorber plate (aluminium sheet painted black of size 100mmx50mm and a cover glass (5mm thickness measuring 100mmx50mm all arranged in this order contributed to the heating. The test results gave temperature above 45OC in the drying chamber, and the moisture content of 50kg of maize reduced to about 12.5% in three days of 9hours each day of drying.

Photonic Nanostructures Design and Optimization for Solar Cell Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qian Liu

2015-08-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a semiconducting photonic nanostructure capable of wide range absorption and tunable optical resonance has been designed with a proposed theoretical optimization model. The design consists of ZnO/CdS core-shell nanowire arrays as well as multilayer thin films that act to absorb incident electromagnetic (EM waves over a broad frequency range. Theoretical, as well as numerical, studies of the nanostructure inside a solar cell plate have been conducted in order to validate the proposed microstructural design. Excellent energy absorption rates of EM waves have been achieved in the high frequency range by using the optical resonance of the nanowire array. By combining multilayer thin film with the core-shell nanowire in the unit cell of a photonic solar cell, a broadband high absorption has been achieved. Moreover, the geometry of the proposed photonic nanostructure is obtained through the implementation of a genetic algorithm. This avoids local minima and an optimized absorption rate of ~90% over the frequency range of 300 to 750 THz has been obtained in the solar cell.

Diseño de un colector solar de placa plana; Design of a Solar Flat Plate Collector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeovany Rafael Rodríguez Mejía

2015-12-01

Full Text Available En el presente artículo se integra el uso de un software de diseño mecánico y un algoritmo de simulación de la operación de un colector solar de placa plana, con el objetivo de simplificar el proceso de diseño y manufactura de este último. Se exponen los resultados de la simulación de la operación del colector solar considerando diferentes combinaciones en los parámetros de los materiales utilizados, tales como sus propiedades y características físico químicas, además de la variación de las dimensiones del sistema adiseñar. Finalmente en el artículo se evalúa la operación de un colector solar para las condiciones climatológicas típicas de la irradiancia, velocidad de viento y temperatura ambiente a partir de una serie de curvas sinusoidales, típicas de Cuba, validándose la viabilidad del algoritmo como apoyo en la etapa de diseño y selección de materiales.In this article the use of mechanical design software and an algorithm for simulating the operation of a flat plate solar collector, with the objective of simplifying the process of design and manufacture of the latter isintegrated. The simulation results of the operation of the solar collector considering different combinations in the parameters of the materials used, such as its physicochemical properties and features in addition to thevariation of the dimensions of the system design are set. The article finally evaluates the operation of a solar collector for typical climatic conditions of irradiance, wind speed and ambient temperature from a series ofsinusoidal, typical Cuba curves is evaluated, validating the feasibility of the algorithm as support in step design and material selection.

Solar cooking in Mozambique—an investigation of end-user's needs for the design of solar cookers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Otte, Pia Piroschka

2014-01-01

Sub-Saharan Africa is characterized by insufficient access to modern energy. One solution to this problem could be the use of solar energy to satisfy the current energy demand. However, solar energy technologies have shown limited success up to now. In the literature it is argued that solar cookers are often implemented as a “solution looking for a problem”, without consideration of the end-user needs. This study contributes to this debate by investigating the energy patterns and cooking profiles of public institutions for the design and implementation of solar cookers in the case of Mozambique. Interviews were conducted with 12 health institutions in Maputo and Sofala province in Mozambique. The paper concludes that solar cooking presents one solution to overcome the energy crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa but not the only solution. Solar cookers could improve the current cooking situation if combined with heat storage, back up, or a hybrid system that ensures reliability also during evening hours and rainy days. In general we could see that solar cookers should fulfill a variety of requirements related to cooking habits, schedule of daily routine and performance that are considered to enhance levels of use. - Highlights: • The study investigates energy patterns of public health institutions in Mozambique. • The aim is to find out how a solar cooker should be designed for implementation. • Solar cookers should be reliable and lead to economic savings. • Users are skeptical towards the use of solar cookers during the rainy season. • Solar cookers need to be combined with other energy sources to be successful

VR-Smart Home, prototyping of a user centered design system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heidari Jozam, M.; Allameh, E.; Vries, de B.; Timmermans, H.J.P.; Masoud, M.; Andreev, S.; Balandin, S.; Yevgeni, Koucheryavy

2012-01-01

In this paper, we propose a prototype of a user centered design system for Smart Homes which lets users: (1) configure different interactive tasks, and (2) express activity specifications and preferences during the design process. The main objective of this paper is how to create and to implement VR

Application of solar energy; Proceedings of the First Southeastern Conference, Huntsville, Ala., March 24-26, 1975

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, S. T.; Christensen, D. L.; Head, R. R.; Whitacre, W. E.

1975-01-01

Topics related to architectural and institutional considerations are discussed along with studies of components and subsystems. Subjects in the area of system design and analysis are also explored. Residential and commercial applications are considered, taking into account hot-water usage in a typical single-family residence, solar heating and cooling of mobile homes, aspects of design and performance in the case of a solar heating system using a reflective pyramid optical condenser, solar heating in a Boston school, a performance analysis of solar service hot water systems, comparative performance analyses of three solar heated and cooled buildings, and the use of solar energy in a soybeam processing operation. Applications related to power generation are also examined, giving attention to solar thermal electric power systems and photovoltaic research. Individual items are announced in this issue.

Design and Development of NEA Scout Solar Sail Deployer Mechanism

Science.gov (United States)

Sobey, Alexander R.; Lockett, Tiffany Russell

2016-01-01

The 6U (approx.10 cm x 20 cm x 30 cm) cubesat Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout1, projected for launch in September 2018 aboard the maiden voyage of the Space Launch System, will utilize a solar sail as its main method of propulsion throughout its approx.3-year mission to a Near Earth Asteroid. Due to the extreme volume constraints levied onto the mission, an acutely compact solar sail deployment mechanism has been designed to meet the volume and mass constraints, as well as provide enough propulsive solar sail area and quality in order to achieve mission success. The design of such a compact system required the development of approximately half a dozen prototypes in order to identify unforeseen problems, advance solutions, and build confidence in the final design product. This paper focuses on the obstacles of developing a solar sail deployment mechanism for such an application and the lessons learned from a thorough development process. The lessons presented will have significant applications beyond the NEA Scout mission, such as the development of other deployable boom mechanisms and uses for gossamer-thin films in space.

Whole-Building Design Increases Energy Efficiency in a Mixed-Humid Climate: Ideal Homes, Norman, Oklahoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poole, L.; Anderson, R.

2001-01-01

New houses designed by Ideal Homes, with technical support from the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America Program, save their homeowners money by applying the principles of ''whole-building'' design. The homes are in Norman, Oklahoma

Theoretical comparison of solar water/space-heating combi systems and stratification design options

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Elsa; Furbo, Simon

2007-01-01

A theoretical analysis of differently designed solar combi systems is performed with weather data from the Danish Design Reference Year (55ºN). Three solar combi system designs found on the market are investigated. The investigation focuses on the influence of stratification on the thermal perfor...

A design for an enviromental home, Lecco, Lombardia

OpenAIRE

MARZO FERRER, FRANCISCO JAVIER

2011-01-01

Intercambios internacionales. Politecnico di Milano. Italia. This house is developed to provide the maximum comfort to his owners with the minimum environmental impact, so that the minimum energy consumption, CO2 gases, etc. Marzo Ferrer, FJ. (2011). A design for an enviromental home, Lecco, Lombardia. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/12778. Archivo delegado

Design of annual storage solar space heating systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hooper, F C; Cook, J D

1979-11-01

Design considerations for annual storage solar space heating systems are discussed. A simulation model for the performance of suh systems is described, and a method of classifying system configurations is proposed. It is shown that annual systems sized for unconstrained performance, with no unused collector or storage capacity, and no rejected heat, minimize solar acquisition costs. The optimal performance corresponds to the condition where the marginal storage-to-collector sizing ratio is equal to the corresponding marginal cost ratio.

Designing the Desirable Smart Home: A Study of Household Experiences and Energy Consumption Impacts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Rikke Hagensby; Kjeldskov, Jesper; Skov, Mikael

2018-01-01

Research has shown that desirable designs shape the use and experiences people have when interacting with technology. Nevertheless, how desirability influences energy consumption is often overlooked, particularly in HCI studies evaluating the sustainability benefits of smart home technology....... In this paper, we present a qualitative study with 23 Australian households who reflect on their experiences of living with smart home devices. Drawing on Nelson and Stolterman’s concept of desiderata we develop a typology of householders’ desires for the smart home and their energy implications. We structure...... these desires as three smart home personas: the helper, optimiser and hedonist, which align with desiderata’s three approaches to desire (reason, ethics and aesthetics). We use these insights to discuss how desirability can be used within HCI for steering design of the smart home towards sustainability....

Fractal-Like Materials Design with Optimized Radiative Properties for High-Efficiency Solar Energy Conversion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ho, Clifford K. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Concentrating Solar Technologies Dept.; Ortega, Jesus D. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Concentrating Solar Technologies Dept.; Christian, Joshua Mark [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Concentrating Solar Technologies Dept.; Yellowhair, Julius E. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Concentrating Solar Technologies Dept.; Ray, Daniel A. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Concentrating Solar Technologies Dept.; Kelton, John W. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Concentrating Solar Technologies Dept.; Peacock, Gregory [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Concentrating Solar Technologies Dept.; Andraka, Charles E. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Concentrating Solar Technologies Dept.; Shinde, Subhash [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Concentrating Solar Technologies Dept.

2016-09-01

Novel designs to increase light trapping and thermal efficiency of concentrating solar receivers at multiple length scales have been conceived, designed, and tested. The fractal-like geometries and features are introduced at both macro (meters) and meso (millimeters to centimeters) scales. Advantages include increased solar absorptance, reduced thermal emittance, and increased thermal efficiency. Radial and linear structures at the meso (tube shape and geometry) and macro (total receiver geometry and configuration) scales redirect reflected solar radiation toward the interior of the receiver for increased absorptance. Hotter regions within the interior of the receiver can reduce thermal emittance due to reduced local view factors to the environment, and higher concentration ratios can be employed with similar surface irradiances to reduce the effective optical aperture, footprint, and thermal losses. Coupled optical/fluid/thermal models have been developed to evaluate the performance of these designs relative to conventional designs. Modeling results showed that fractal-like structures and geometries can increase the effective solar absorptance by 5 – 20% and the thermal efficiency by several percentage points at both the meso and macro scales, depending on factors such as intrinsic absorptance. Meso-scale prototypes were fabricated using additive manufacturing techniques, and a macro-scale bladed receiver design was fabricated using Inconel 625 tubes. On-sun tests were performed using the solar furnace and solar tower at the National Solar Thermal Test facility. The test results demonstrated enhanced solar absorptance and thermal efficiency of the fractal-like designs.

Design of solar systems in high-rise buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Kolosov, Alexander; Chudinov, Dmitry; Yaremenko, Sergey

2018-03-01

Nowadays, the renovation program is being implemented in the megapolises of Russia. Innovative high-rise buildings are built instead of morally and physically obsolete houses, where non-traditional renewable energy sources are used to the fullest extent, under the effect of which they are located. The possibility to use solar systems with variation of their design parameters is considered. It is established that solar systems have high technical potential. The share of heat load, that is provided by using solar energy, varies from 4 to 84% depending on the time of the year. Economic indicators restrain the use of such panels. The payback period is about 8 years at the current cost for thermal energy.

Optimization design of solar enhanced natural draft dry cooling tower

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zou, Zheng; Guan, Zhiqiang; Gurgenci, Hal

2013-01-01

Highlights: • We proposed a cost model for solar enhanced natural draft dry cooling tower. • We proposed an optimization scheme for this new cooling system. • We optimally designed one for a 50 MW EGS geothermal plant as a demonstration. • Results proved its economic advantages for EGS geothermal application. - Abstract: This paper proposed an optimization scheme for solar enhanced natural draft dry cooling tower design, in which a detailed cost model was proposed including capital, labour, maintenance and operation costs of each component. Based on the developed cost model, the optimal design option can be identified in terms of the relatively lower annual cost and the relatively higher total extra income over the Solar Enhanced Natural Draft Dry Cooling Tower (SENDDCT) lifetime. As a case study, a SENDDCT was optimally designed to meet the cooling demand for a 50 MW geothermal power plant with Engineered Geothermal System (EGS) technology. The results showed that the optimized SENDDCT not only has better cooling performance during the daytime but also is a cost effective option for EGS geothermal power plants

The socio-technical barriers to Solar Home Systems (SHS) in Papua New Guinea: 'Choosing pigs, prostitutes, and poker chips over panels'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sovacool, Benjamin K.; D'Agostino, Anthony L.; Jain Bambawale, Malavika

2011-01-01

This study explores the socio-technical barriers to Solar Home Systems (SHS) in Papua New Guinea. The authors collected primary data through semi-structured research interviews conducted over the course of February 2010-April 2010. Respondents included government officials, financiers, planners, commercial distributors and companies, teachers and rural villagers in addition to members of civil society, academics, consultants, and trainers. These interviews were supplemented with site visits to Port Moresby, Goroka, and Madang, and field research in the villages of Akameku, Asaroka, Lufa, Kundiawa, Okifa, Simbu, and Talidig. The study draws from these interviews and visits to discuss four types of barriers. Technical barriers relate to substandard equipment and logistical problems. Economic barriers include high rates of poverty, misconceptions about the role of currency, and lack of financing. Political barriers include poor institutional capacity and a government commitment to fossil-fueled grid electrification. Social barriers encompass unrealistic expectations about what SHS can provide along with jealousy, theft, vandalism, and unfamiliarity with solar technology. - Research highlights: → Solar Home Systems (SHS) are impeded by a collection of different barriers in Papua New Guinea. → Technical barriers relate to substandard equipment and logistical problems. → Economic barriers include high rates of poverty, misconceptions about the role of currency, and lack of financing.→ Political barriers include poor institutional capacity and a government commitment to fossil-fueled grid electrification. → Social barriers encompass unrealistic expectations about what SHS can provide along with jealousy, theft, vandalism, and unfamiliarity with solar technology.

Methodology for the conceptual design of solar kitchens

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macia G, A F; Estrada V, D A; Chejne J, F; Velasquez, H I; Rengifo, R

2005-01-01

A detailed description of the methodology for the conceptual design of solar kitchens has appeared, which allows its detailed design. The methodology is based on three main phases that natural and has been very intuitively identified given to the characteristics and conditions of the project: conceptual phase, detail phase and execution phase

A review of community-based solar home system projects in the Philippines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Macabebe Erees Queen B.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Solar Home Systems (SHS are easy to deploy in island and in remote communities where grid connection is costly. However, issues related to maintenance of these systems emerge after they are deployed because of the remoteness and inaccessibility of the communities. This study looked into community-based programs in the Philippines and investigated the following: (1 social preparation, (2 role of the community in the project, and (3 sustainability of the program. In this paper, three communities under two government programs offering SHS are presented. These programs are the Solar Power Technology Support (SPOTS program of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR and the Household Electrification Program (HEP of the Department of Energy (DOE. A focused group discussion and key informant interviews were conducted in two communities in Bukidnon province and in a community in Kalinga to obtain information from the project beneficiaries and SHS users on the preparation, implementation and maintenance of the projects. The results revealed that emphasis on the economic value of the technology, proper training of the locals on the technical and management aspects of the project, as well as the establishment of a supply chain for replacement parts are crucial factors for the sustainability of the programs.

New design algorithm and reliability testing of solar powered near ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

New design algorithm and reliability testing of solar powered near-space flight vehicle for defense and security. ... To overcome this problem, we propose a pseudo-satellite system where telecommunication devices are carried on a perpetually flying solar aircraft cruising at stratospheric altitude. Our aircraft will combine ...

DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Case Study: The Imery Group — Proud Green Home, Serenbe, GA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2014-09-01

The first certified Zero Energy Ready Home in Georgia was honored in the Custom Builder category of the 2014 Housing Innovation Awards. The 2,811-ft2, two-story custom home has 2x6 advanced framed walls filled with R-20 of open-cell spray foam, plus an R-6.6 insulated coated OSB sheathing. Also included is electronic monitoring equipment that tracks the PV, solar thermal water heater, ERV, mini-split heat pump with three indoor heads, solar water heater, and LED and CFL lighting.

Photovoltaic module quality in the Kenyan solar home systems market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duke, R.D.; Jacobson, A.; Kammen, D.M.

2002-01-01

As one of the largest unsubsidized markets for solar home systems (SHSs) in the world, Kenya represents a promising model for rural electrification based on private purchases of clean decentralized photovoltaic technologies. Small amorphous-silicon modules dominate the market and most brands provide high quality and affordable service. Product quality varies widely, however, and the public has limited capacity to distinguish among competing brands. This imposes direct hardships on households with the misfortune to purchase low-quality equipment, and it constrains sales as some customers refrain from purchasing solar equipment due to the associated performance uncertainty. This article analyzes market failure associated with photovoltaic module quality in the Kenyan SHS market and develops strategies to address the problem - emphasizing that similar quality problems may exist for other SHS components and in other markets. The principal conclusion is that domestic product testing with public disclosure represents an inexpensive low-risk strategy, but it may prove inadequate. Mandatory product quality standards based on international testing regimes (e.g. IEC standards), augmented with a basic domestic testing option, would provide stronger assurance, but the risks associated with this intervention suggest caution. An emerging multilateral SHS market support effort (PVMTI) should ensure quality for the credit-based sales it promotes in Kenya; however, the long-term impact of this approach is not yet clear and it is unlikely to address quality problems associated with the unsubsidized sales-based markets for SHSs. Finally, fee-for-service models would decisively address quality problems, but launching this model in the Kenyan market would likely require large subsidies. (author)

The potential of solar PV in Ontario

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McMonagle, R.

2005-01-01

Canada has lagged behind other industrialized nations in the growth of solar energy markets. Currently, over 78 per cent of the global market for solar energy is for grid-connected applications where power is fed into the electrical distribution network. Less than 3.5 per cent of the Canadian solar market is grid-connected. This report investigated the potential size of the photovoltaic (PV) market in Ontario given adequate support from both governments and utilities. The forecast was based on sustainable growth levels that the solar industry as a whole might maintain over an extended period of time. It was suggested that it is technically feasible to install over 3000 MW of PV in single, detached homes in the province, which could generate over 3200 GWh each year. If the right policy conditions were put in place, the technical potential for PV on all buildings in Ontario is over 14,000 MW by 2025, which would generate over 13,000 GWh annually. Support mechanisms such as the Advanced Renewable Tariff (ART) or Standard Offer Contracts (SOC) will enable the PV industry to build capacity. Future markets for PV include new homes, commercial buildings and the existing housing stock. With a properly designed system, it is forecasted that the deployment of PV by 2025 could result in the involvement of 400,000 homes with over 1200 MW of installed capacity and over 290 MW installed annually by 2025. Recommendations to Ontario Power Authority's (OPA) report supply mix report focused on the use of SOCs as the appropriate support mechanism to start building solar capacity in Ontario, as projections using SOCs would see Ontario following the growth patterns of other nations. It was concluded that the OPA report does not acknowledge the current growth rates of PV globally, nor does it fully consider the potential of PV in Ontario. 9 refs., 8 figs

Solar Energy Development PEIS Information Center

Science.gov (United States)

skip navigation Solar Energy Development Programmatic EIS Home About the EIS Public Involvement Solar Energy Solar Energy Zones Maps Documents secondary menu News Frequently Asked Questions Glossary E the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Solar Energy Development in Six Southwestern

Beyond Home Automation: Designing More Effective Smart Home Systems

OpenAIRE

Carner, Paolo

2009-01-01

This paper outlines a Smart Home Proof-of-Concept system that uses a Bayesian Network to predict the likelihood of a monitored event to occur. Firstly, this paper will provide an introduction to the concept of a smart home system; then it will outline how Artificial Intelligence concepts can be used to make such systems more effective. Finally, it will detail the implementation of a smart home system, which uses an inference engine to determine the likelihood of a fire. The system prototype h...

Design and Analysis of Hybrid Solar Lighting and Full-Spectrum Solar Energy Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muhs, J.D.

2001-01-01

This paper describes a systems-level design and analysis of a new approach for improving the energy efficiency and affordability of solar energy in buildings, namely, hybrid solar lighting and full-spectrum solar energy systems. By using different portions of the solar spectrum simultaneously for multiple end-use applications in buildings, the proposed system offers unique advantages over other alternatives for using sunlight to displace electricity (conventional topside daylighting and solar technologies). Our preliminary work indicates that hybrid solar lighting, a method of collecting and distributing direct sunlight for lighting purposes, will alleviate many of the problems with passive daylighting systems of today, such as spatial and temporal variability, glare, excess illumination, cost, and energy efficiency. Similarly, our work suggests that the most appropriate use of the visible portion of direct, nondiffuse sunlight from an energy-savings perspective is to displace electric light rather than generate electricity. Early estimates detailed in this paper suggest an anticipated system cost of well under$2.0/Wp and 5-11(cents)/kWh for displaced and generated electricity in single-story commercial building applications. Based on a number of factors discussed in the paper, including sunlight availability, building use scenarios, time-of-day electric utility rates, cost, and efficacy of the displaced electric lights, the simple payback of this approach in many applications could eventually be well under 5 years

Design of cascaded low cost solar cell with CuO substrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Samson, Mil' shtein; Anup, Pillai; Shiv, Sharma; Garo, Yessayan [Advanced Electronic Technology Center, ECE Dept., University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA-01851 (United States)

2013-12-04

For many years the main focus of R and D in solar cells was the development of high-efficiency solar convertors. However with solar technology beginning to be a part of national grids and stand-alone power supplies for variety of individual customers, the emphasis has changed, namely, the cost per kilowatt- hour (kW-hr) started to be an important figure of merit. Although Si does dominate the market of solar convertors, this material has total cost of kilowatt-hour much higher than what the power grid is providing presently to customers. It is well known that the cost of raw semiconductor material is a major factor in formulation of the final cost of a solar cell. That motivated us to search and design a novel solar cell using cheap materials. The new p-i-n solar cell consists of hetero-structure cascade of materials with step by step decreasing energy gap. Since the lattice constant of these three materials do differ not more than 2%, the more expensive epitaxial fabrication methods can be used as well. It should be emphasized that designed solar cell is not a cascade of three solar cells connected in series. Our market study shows that Si solar panel which costs $250–400 / m{sup 2} leads to a cost of $0.12–0.30 / kW-hr. To the contrary, CuO based solar cells with Cadmium compounds on top, would cost $100 / m{sup 2}. This will allow the novel solar cell to produce electricity at a cost of $0.06–0.08 / kW-hr.

Preliminary design of the thermal protection system for solar probe

Science.gov (United States)

Dirling, R. B., Jr.; Loomis, W. C.; Heightland, C. N.

1982-01-01

A preliminary design of the thermal protection system for the NASA Solar Probe spacecraft is presented. As presently conceived, the spacecraft will be launched by the Space Shuttle on a Jovian swing-by trajectory and at perihelion approach to three solar radii of the surface of the Earth's sun. The system design satisfies maximum envelope, structural integrity, equipotential, and mass loss/contamination requirements by employing lightweight carbon-carbon emissive shields. The primary shield is a thin shell, 15.5-deg half-angle cone which absorbs direct solar flux at up to 10-deg off-nadir spacecraft pointing angles. Secondary shields of sandwich construction and low thickness-direction thermal conductivity are used to reduce the primary shield infrared radiation to the spacecraft payload.

Solar CalPoly

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stannard, Sandra [California Polytechnic State Univ., San Luis Obispo, CA (United States)

2016-06-15

The target budget of INhouse was about $650,000 for all materials and student expenses of the Solar Decathlon competition. In order to reach our goal, Cal Poly students and faculty worked with the College of Architecture and Environmental Design’s External Relations office to actively fundraise for INhouse. Students connected with Cal Poly alumni through phone calls, postal mail, email, and live presentations to reach as many alumni in the state of California as possible. Before construction begun, students and faculty met on a weekly basis to determine what brands of materials for the home to use and who would be responsible for reaching out to the company to seek a donation. Our College of Architecture and Environmental Design’s administration was essential in helping us fundraise. For some time, the college was hoping to depend on about half of our fundraising expenses to be covered through the sale of INhouse. However, plans to sell the home fell through during the design development phase; the college turned to the sale of a different asset in to help us meet our goal. If we were to do this project again, completing the design concept and securing a future location of our home sooner would have enhanced our fundraising activities.

DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Case Study: TC Legend Homes, Seattle, Washington

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2013-09-01

This house incorporates slab-on-grade, EPS roof, and radiant heating with an air-to-water heat pump that also preheats domestic hot water. Without counting in the solar panels, the home earns a home energy rating system (HERS) score of 37, with projected utility bills of about $740 a year. With the 6.4-kW photovoltaic power system installed on the roof, the home’s HERS scores drops to -1 and utility bills for the all-electric home drop to zero. This home was awarded a 2013 Housing Innovation Award in the affordable builder category.

Solar dynamic power module design

Science.gov (United States)

Secunde, Richard R.; Labus, Thomas L.; Lovely, Ronald G.

1989-01-01

Studies have shown that the use of solar dynamic (SD) power for the growth areas of the Space Station Freedom program will result in life cycle cost savings when compared to power supplied by photovoltaic sources. In the SD power module, a concentrator collects and focuses solar energy into a heat receiver which has integral thermal energy storage. A Power Conversion Unit (PCU) based on the closed Brayton cycle removes thermal energy from the receiver and converts that energy to electrical energy. Since the closed Brayton cycle is a single phase gas cycle, the conversion hardware (heat exchangers, turbine, compressor, etc.) can be designed for operation in low earth orbit, and tested with confidence in test facilities on earth before launch into space. The concentrator subassemblies will be aligned and the receiver/PCU/radiator combination completely assembled and charged with gas and cooling liquid on earth before launch to, and assembly on, orbit.

Designing, testing, and implementing a sustainable nurse home visiting program: right@home.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldfeld, Sharon; Price, Anna; Kemp, Lynn

2018-05-01

Nurse home visiting (NHV) offers a potential platform to both address the factors that limit access to services for families experiencing adversity and provide effective interventions. Currently, the ability to examine program implementation is hampered by a lack of detailed description of actual, rather than expected, program development and delivery in published studies. Home visiting implementation remains a black box in relation to quality and sustainability. However, previous literature would suggest that efforts to both report and improve program implementation are vital for NHV to have population impact and policy sustainability. In this paper, we provide a case study of the design, testing, and implementation of the right@home program, an Australian NHV program and randomized controlled trial. We address existing gaps related to implementation of NHV programs by describing the processes used to develop the program to be trialed, summarizing its effectiveness, and detailing the quality processes and implementation evaluation. The weight of our evidence suggests that NHV can be a powerful and sustainable platform for addressing inequitable outcomes, particularly when the program focuses on parent engagement and partnership, delivers evidence-based strategies shown to improve outcomes, includes fidelity monitoring, and is adapted to and embedded within existing service delivery systems. © 2018 The Authors. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The New York Academy of Sciences.

The Importance of Accurate Solar Data for Designing Solar Photovoltaic Systems—Case Studies in Spain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mirian Jiménez-Torres

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Renewable energies have experienced a great growth in recent years, and nowadays participate in the set of energies used in developed and developing countries to produce electricity. Among these technologies, photovoltaic energy, which produces clean electricity from the Sun, is the one that has grown faster, and its implementation all over the world is a guarantee of a solid and efficient energy technology. Nevertheless, in order to design very efficient solar energy systems, it is crucial to have a good solar radiation database. There are databases where it is possible to find information on solar radiation, but only for horizontal surfaces. Afterwards, it is necessary to transform the horizontal solar radiation data to tilt solar radiation data. This transformation is not easy, and the application of complex mathematical equations, and expressions, and difficult algorithms must be done. An application called virtual laboratory “OrientSol 3.0” which allows the user to easily obtain the solar radiation for any tilt surface has been developed by us. Thus, our main objectives in this paper are to present the developed virtual laboratory and to explain its main features and core functionalities. In order to point out the difficulties and complexity of the transformation of horizontal solar radiation data to tilt solar radiation data, we will present some examples of the results this application provides and compare the solar radiation data supplied with this application with some other solar radiation data obtained from other databases.

Thermodynamic methodology for the design of solar dryers operated with flat solar collectors; Metodologia termodinamica para el diseno de secadores operados con calentadores solares planos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Torres Reyes, Ernestina; Navarrete Gonzalez, Jose L; Ibarra Salazar, Beatriz A; Picon Nunez, Martin [Instituto de Investigaciones Cientificas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanjuato, Guanajuato (Mexico)

2000-07-01

In this paper a thermal performance analysis of solar drying process at operating varying conditions is presented. It is described semi-empirical models to thermal characterization of an experimental device. A simulator of thermal performance for operating varying conditions was developed as a part of the procedure of thermal design of solar dryers. On the other hand, it is described a simplified method to design solar collectors based on the determination of minimum entropy generation during the thermal conversion of the solar device by using the thermal analysis procedure established and the method derived of the second law of the Thermodynamics are finally presented. [Spanish] En este trabajo se presenta el analisis termico del comportamiento del sistema -colector solar camara de secado-. Se describen los modelos semi-empiricos con los que se caracterizo termicamente un secador solar experimental del tipo indirecto. Se presenta tambien un procedimiento de diseno de equipo de secado que toma en cuenta las condiciones variables de operacion que presentan los dispositivos solares. Por otro lado se describe un procedimiento simplificado de diseno, basado en un analisis derivado de la segunda ley de la Termodinamica. Esta metodologia se fundamenta en la minima generacion de entropia durante la conversion termica de la energia solar, utilizando colectores solares planos. Finalmente se presentan los resultados del diseno preliminar de equipo de secado utilizando los dos procedimientos mencionados.

Design of Hybrid Solar and Wind Energy Harvester for Fishing Boat

Science.gov (United States)

Banjarnahor, D. A.; Hanifan, M.; Budi, E. M.

2017-07-01

In southern beach of West Java, Indonesia, there are many villagers live as fishermen. They use small boats for fishing, in one to three days. Therefore, they need a fish preservation system. Fortunately, the area has high potential of solar and wind energy. This paper presents the design of a hybrid solar and wind energy harvester to power a refrigerator in the fishing boat. The refrigerator should keep the fish in 2 - 4 °C. The energy needed is 720 Wh daily. In the area, the daily average wind velocity is 4.27 m/s and the sun irradiation is 672 W/m2. The design combined two 100W solar panels and a 300W wind turbine. The testing showed that the solar panels can harvest 815 - 817 Wh of energy, while the wind turbine can harvest 43 - 62 Wh of energy daily. Therefore, the system can fulfil the energy requirement in fishing boat, although the solar panels were more dominant. To install the wind turbine on the fishing-boat, a computational design had been conducted. The boat hydrostatic dimension was measured to determine its stability condition. To reach a stable equilibrium condition, the wind turbine should be installed no more than 1.7 m of height.

Performance evaluation and solar radiation capture of optimally inclined box type solar cooker with parallelepiped cooking vessel design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sethi, V.P.; Pal, D.S.; Sumathy, K.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Optimally inclined solar cooker is presented for efficient cooking. • A new parallelepiped shaped cooking vessel for higher solar radiation capture is presented. • Optimum tilt angles of the boosted mirror are computed for maximization of reflected components. • Solar radiation capture ratios show the better cooking performance of inclined cooker. • Standard performance parameters establish the better cooking performance of inclined cooker. - Abstract: An optimally inclined box type solar cooker with single booster mirror is presented along with design and development of a novel parallelepiped shaped cooking vessel design for efficient cooking especially in winter conditions. The main feature of new parallelepiped shaped design is its longer inclined south wall (facing the sun) and a trapezoidal cavity on the vessel lid for greater heat transfer to the food material. The ends of the vessel towards east and west direction are minimized. The cooking performance parameters of proposed inclined cooker coupled with new vessel design were compared with horizontally placed identical cooker of same material and dimensions coupled with conventional cylindrical vessel design during winter month (January) of the year 2010 at Ludhiana climate (30°N 77°E), India. Results showed that the first and the second figures of merit (F 1 and F 2 ) for inclined cooker were 0.16 and 0.54 as compared to 0.14 and 0.43 for horizontally placed cooker. Time taken to boil the water τ boil and standard cooking power P n was 37% less and 40% more respectively in parallelepiped shaped cooking vessel of inclined cooker as compared to conventional cylindrical vessel of horizontally placed cooker. A mathematical model is developed to compute the total solar radiation availability on the absorber plate of inclined as well as horizontal cooker which establishes the better cooking performance of the inclined cooker due to greater width of sun rays intercepting the absorber

Design and development of hybrid energy generator (photovoltaics) with solar tracker

Science.gov (United States)

Mohiuddin, A. K. M.; Sabarudin, Mohamad Syabil Bin; Khan, Ahsan Ali; Izan Ihsan, Sany

2017-03-01

This paper is the outcome of a small scale hybrid energy generator (hydro and photovoltaic) project. It contains the photovoltaics part of the project. The demand of energy resources is increasing day by day. That is why people nowadays tend to move on and changes their energy usage from using fossil fuels to a cleaner and green energy like hydro energy, solar energy etc. Nevertheless, energy is hard to come by for people who live in remote areas and also campsites in the remote areas which need continuous energy sources to power the facilities. Thus, the purpose of this project is to design and develop a small scale hybrid energy generator to help people that are in need of power. This main objective of this project is to develop and analyze the effectiveness of solar trackers in order to increase the electricity generation from solar energy. Software like Solidworks and Arduino is used to sketch and construct the design and also to program the microcontroller respectively. Experimental results show the effectiveness of the designed solar tracker sytem.

The electrical power subsystem design for the high energy solar physics spacecraft concepts

Science.gov (United States)

Kulkarni, Milind

1993-01-01

This paper discusses the Electrical Power Subsystem (EPS) requirements, architecture, design description, performance analysis, and heritage of the components for two spacecraft concepts for the High Energy Solar Physics (HESP) Mission. It summarizes the mission requirements and the spacecraft subsystems and instrument power requirements, and it describes the EPS architecture for both options. A trade study performed on the selection of the solar cells - body mounted versus deployed panels - and the optimum number of panels is also presented. Solar cell manufacturing losses, array manufacturing losses, and the radiation and temperature effects on the GaAs/Ge and Si solar cells were considered part of the trade study and are included in this paper. Solar cell characteristics, cell circuit description, and the solar array area design are presented, as is battery sizing analysis performed based on the power requirements during launch and initial spacecraft operations. This paper discusses Earth occultation periods and the battery power requirements during this period as well as shunt control, battery conditioning, and bus regulation schemes. Design margins, redundancy philosophy, and predicted on-orbit battery and solar cell performance are summarized. Finally, the heritage of the components and technology risk assessment are provided.

Exploring Hygge as a Desirable Design Vision for the Sustainable Smart Home

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Rikke Hagensby; Raptis, Dimitrios; Kjeldskov, Jesper

2018-01-01

In this paper, we present an exploratory study of hygge as a low-energy design vision for the smart home. Hygge is a Danish concept that embodies aesthetic experiences related to conviviality, often shaped by orchestrating atmospheres through low-level lighting. To explore this vision, we probe two...... Australian households that already live with smart home lighting technology. We report on household reflections of embedding hygge into everyday life. We conclude by outlining future directions for exploring desirable and sustainable smart home visions....

Techno-economic optimization for the design of solar chimney power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ali, Babkir

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Chimney height and collector area of different designs were optimized. • Simple actual and minimum payback periods were developed. • Comparative assessment was conducted for different designs configuration. • Effects of uncertain parameters on the payback period were studied. - Abstract: This paper aims to propose a methodology for optimization of solar chimney power plants taking into account the techno-economic parameters. The indicator used for optimization is the comparison between the actual achieved simple payback period for the design and the minimum possible (optimum) simple payback period as a reference. An optimization model was executed for different twelve designs in the range 5–200 MW to cover reinforced concrete chimney, sloped collector, and floating chimney. The height of the chimney was optimized and the associated collector area was calculated accordingly. Relationships between payback periods, electricity price, and the peak power capacity of each power plant were developed. The resulted payback periods for the floating chimney power plants were the shortest compared to the other studied designs. For a solar chimney power plant with 100 MW at electricity price 0.10 USD/kWh, the simple payback period for the reference case was 4.29 years for floating chimney design compared to 23.47 and 16.88 years for reinforced concrete chimney and sloped collector design, respectively. After design optimization for 100 MW power plant of each of reinforced concrete, sloped collector, and floating chimney, a save of 19.63, 2.22, and 2.24 million USD, respectively from the initial cost of the reference case is achieved. Sensitivity analysis was conducted in this study to evaluate the impacts of varied running cost, solar radiation, and electricity price on the payback periods of solar chimney power plant. Floating chimney design is still performing after applying the highest ratio of annual running cost to the annual revenue. The

Designing and manufacturing of solar imaging and tracking system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehrdad Hosseini

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract – in this study, designing and manufacturing of solar imaging and tracking system in order to research and spectroscopy applications are investigated. The device has the ability to be used as a Telescope, spectroscope, spectrophotometer and spectrohelioscope. The results obtained from this device are used in the various field of research such as absorption spectra of the surface of the sun, transit of planets in front of the sun, Doppler effects, evaluation of the Fraunhofer lines, plot of intensity versus wavelength and studying of Solar Flares. In this research, design and manufacture of the device, along with some of the results, are reported.

Design concepts for solar heating in a Mediterranean climate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schneider, M; Berger, X; Bourdeau, L; Jaffrin, A; Sylvain, J D

1977-01-01

Solar heating is often designed in a similar way to classical central heating. The consequence is a very high cost which can only be reduced by using a calorific fluid at a lower temperature than is customary, improved architectural design and a further research into new passive heating methods. The collection area and storage volume necessary to obtain good solar efficiency were computed in a Mediterranean climate. Emphasis is put on large thermal inertia which is best achieved by using the latent heat of materials. The result of an experiment performed with salt hydrates is most promising but many problems of time instability have still to be solved.

Design of SMART waste heat removal dry cooling tower using solar energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Yong Jae; Jeong, Yong Hoon

2014-01-01

The 85% of cooling system are once-through cooling system and closed cycle wet cooling system. However, many countries are trying to reduce the power plant water requirement due to the water shortage and water pollution. Dry cooling system is investigated for water saving advantage. There are two dry cooling system which are direct and indirect cooling system. In direct type, turbine exhaust is directly cooled by air-cooled condenser. In indirect system, turbine steam is cooled by recirculating intermediate cooling water loop, then the loop is cooled by air-cooled heat exchanger in cooling tower. In this paper, the purpose is to remove SMART waste heat, 200MW by using newly designed tower. The possibility of enhancing cooling performance by solar energy is analyzed. The simple cooling tower and solar energy cooling tower are presented and two design should meet the purpose of removing SMART waste heat, 200MW. In first design, when tower diameter is 70m, the height of tower should be 360m high. In second design, the chimney height decrease from 360m to 180m as collector radius increase from 100m to 500m due to collector temperature enhancement by solar energy, To analyze solar cooling tower further, consideration of solar energy performance at night should be analyzed

Design of SMART waste heat removal dry cooling tower using solar energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Yong Jae; Jeong, Yong Hoon [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-10-15

The 85% of cooling system are once-through cooling system and closed cycle wet cooling system. However, many countries are trying to reduce the power plant water requirement due to the water shortage and water pollution. Dry cooling system is investigated for water saving advantage. There are two dry cooling system which are direct and indirect cooling system. In direct type, turbine exhaust is directly cooled by air-cooled condenser. In indirect system, turbine steam is cooled by recirculating intermediate cooling water loop, then the loop is cooled by air-cooled heat exchanger in cooling tower. In this paper, the purpose is to remove SMART waste heat, 200MW by using newly designed tower. The possibility of enhancing cooling performance by solar energy is analyzed. The simple cooling tower and solar energy cooling tower are presented and two design should meet the purpose of removing SMART waste heat, 200MW. In first design, when tower diameter is 70m, the height of tower should be 360m high. In second design, the chimney height decrease from 360m to 180m as collector radius increase from 100m to 500m due to collector temperature enhancement by solar energy, To analyze solar cooling tower further, consideration of solar energy performance at night should be analyzed.

Designing, Building and Controlling of Home Appliances Unit Using PC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saleh Ben Safar

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Smart home is a residential building that is usually new or modern equipped with necessary tools and wiring that enable its occupants to control a number of electrical devices and several household appliances through a suitable software. Recently, the development of home automation systems is accelerating rapidly as a result of the rapid intersection of modern technologies. Here we are talking about systems for home communication networks as well as entertainment, security, convenience, etc. These systems are controlled by sending signals through wires distributed throughout the house or Through wireless means to programmable keys or devices so that they understand these commands and deal with them as desired. In this paper, I will discuss how to design the circuit with appropriate components, build it in Printed Circuit Board and connect it to a personal computer by using programmable language in order to control all home appliances by just one click. 

DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Case Study: Alliance Green Builders, Casa Aguila

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

2017-09-01

Alliance Green Builders built this 3,129-ft2 home in the hills above Ramona, California, to the high-performance criteria of the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program. The home should perform far better than net zero thanks to a super-efficient building shell, a wind turbine, three suntracking solar photovoltaic arrays, and solar thermal water heating.

Discussion of mechanical design for pressured cavity-air-receiver in solar power tower system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fan, Zhilin; Zhang, Yaoming; Liu, Deyou; Wang, Jun; Liu, Wei [Hohai Univ., Nanjing (China). New Materials and Energy Sources Research and Exploitation Inst.

2008-07-01

In 2005, Hohai university and Nanjing Chunhui science and technology Ltd. of China, cooperating with Weizmann Institute of Science and EDIG Ltd. of Israel, built up a 70kWe solar power tower test plant in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China, which was regarded as the first demonstration project to demonstrate the feasibility of solar power tower system in China. The system consists of heliostats field providing concentrated sunlight, a solar tower with a height of 33 meter, a pressured cavity-air-receiver transforming solar energy to thermal energy, a modified gas turbine adapting to solar power system, natural gas subsystem for solar-hybrid generation, cooling water subsystem for receiver and CPC, controlling subsystem for whole plant, et al. In this system, air acts as actuating medium and the system works in Brayton cycle. Testing results show that solar power tower system is feasible in China. To promote the development of solar powered gas turbine system and the pressured cavity-air-receiver technology in China, it is necessary to study the mechanical design for pressured Cavity-air-receiver. Mechanical design of pressured cavity-air-receiver is underway and some tentative principles for pressured cavity-air-receiver design, involving in power matching, thermal efficiency, material choosing, and equipment security and machining ability, are presented. At the same time, simplified method and process adapted to engineering application for the mechanical design of pressured cavity-air-receiver are discussed too. Furthermore, some design parameters and appearance of a test sample of pressured cavity-air-receiver designed in this way is shown. It is appealed that, in China, the research in this field should be intensified and independent knowledge patents for pivotal technological equipments such as receiver in solar power tower system should be formed. (orig.)

Design for software a playbook for developers

CERN Document Server

Klimczak, Erik

2013-01-01

A unique resource to help software developers create a desirable user experience Today, top-flight software must feature a desirable user experience. This one-of-a-kind book creates a design process specifically for software, making it easy for developers who lack design background to create that compelling user experience. Appealing to both tech-savvy designers and creative-minded technologists, it establishes a hybrid discipline that will produce first-rate software. Illustrated in full color, it shows how to plan and visualize the design to create software that works on every l

A solar powered wireless computer mouse: industrial design concepts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reich, N.H.; Veefkind, M.; van Sark, W.G.J.H.M.; Alsema, E.A.; Turkenburg, W.C.; Silvester, S.

2009-01-01

A solar powered wireless computer mouse (SPM) was chosen to serve as a case study for the evaluation and optimization of industrial design processes of photovoltaic (PV) powered consumer systems. As the design process requires expert knowledge in various technical fields, we assessed and compared

Electrical design for origami solar panels and a small spacecraft test mission

Science.gov (United States)

Drewelow, James; Straub, Jeremy

2017-05-01

Efficient power generation is crucial to the design of spacecraft. Mass, volume, and other limitations prevent the use of traditional spacecraft support structures from being suitable for the size of solar array required for some missions. Folding solar panel / panel array systems, however, present a number of design challenges. This paper considers the electrical design of an origami system. Specifically, it considers how to provide low impedance, durable channels for the generated power and the electrical aspects of the deployment system and procedure. The ability to dynamically reconfigure the electrical configuration of the solar cells is also discussed. Finally, a small satellite test mission to demonstrate the technology is proposed, before concluding.

Assessing Climate to Improve Solar Design. Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse (EREC) Brochure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phillips, J.J.A.

2001-01-01

This fact sheet complements the fact sheet on passive solar design, and provides information on how sunlight, weather patterns, and microclimates affect the performance of solar energy systems and designs

Real-time solar magnetograph operation system software design and user's guide

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, C.

1984-01-01

The Real Time Solar Magnetograph (RTSM) Operation system software design on PDP11/23+ is presented along with the User's Guide. The RTSM operation software is for real time instrumentation control, data collection and data management. The data is used for vector analysis, plotting or graphics display. The processed data is then easily compared with solar data from other sources, such as the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM).

Preliminary design of the Carrisa Plains solar central receiver power plant. Volume III, Book 1. Design description

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1983-12-31

The design of the 30 MWe central receiver solar power plant to be located at Carrisa Plains, San Luis Obispo County, California, is summarized. The plant uses a vertical flat-panel (billboard solar receiver located at the top of a tower to collect solar energy redirected by approximately 1900 heliostats located to the north of the tower. The solar energy is used to heat liquid sodium pumped from ground level from 610 to 1050/sup 0/F. The power conversion system is a non-reheat system, cost-effective at this size level, and designed for high-efficiency performance in an application requiring daily startup. Successful completion of this project will lead to power generation starting in 1986. This report discusses in detail the design of the collector system, heat transport system, thermal storage subsystem, heat transport loop, steam generation subsystem, electrical, instrumentation, and control systems, power conversion system, master control system, and balance of plant. The performance, facility cost estimate and economic analysis, and development plan are also discussed.

Smart Homes Design for People with Dementia

OpenAIRE

Amiribesheli, Mohsen; Bouchachia, Abdelhamid

2015-01-01

In this paper, we present a user-centred approach for designing and developing smart homes for people with dementia. In contrast to most of the existing literature related to dementia, the present approach aims at tailoring the system to the specific needs of dementia using a scenario-based methodology. Scenarios are based on typical dementia symptoms which are collected from research literatures and validated by dementia caregivers. They portray the common behaviour of people with dementia. ...

Design of the Mechanical Components of a Dual Axis Solar Tracker

OpenAIRE

Romero Llanas, Amador

2013-01-01

This work is about the design of a solar tracker with the objective of following the sun throughout the day. In order to achieve that objective, the solar tracker has two degrees of freedom. The different mechanical components necessary to build the structure has been designed, calculated and verified. Apart from that, the whole structure has been drawn using the 3D mechanical CAD program SolidWorks. The plans have been drawn too.

Willow Park II Community Center. Design report for the passive solar commercial buildings design assistance and demonstration program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1981-01-15

The design process for a passive solar community center in Texas is documented. Weather data are given. Energy analysis for early drawings is performed using the ENERGYLOOK program and the results shown graphically. Energy consumption and cost data are given. The design evolution is then traced and the performance of alternative designs compared. Design indicators for best strategies and concepts are discussed and the final design is presented. Energy consumption and cost are given, along with incremental passive solar design costs. A schematic review meeting report and life cycle value tables are included. Overviews, unavailable information, incremental passive design costs, performance comparison of alternatives, and architectural compatibility are discussed for each step in the design process. (LEW)

Heat-rejection design for large concentrating solar arrays

Science.gov (United States)

French, E. P.

1980-01-01

This paper considers the effect of heat rejection devices (radiators) on the performance and cost of large concentrating solar arrays for space application. Overall array characteristics are derived from the weight, cost, and performance of four major components; namely primary structure, optics/secondary structure, radiator, and solar panel. An ideal concentrator analysis is used to establish general cost and performance trends independent of specific array design. Both passive and heat-pipe radiation are evaluated, with an incremental cost-of-power approach used in the evaluation. Passive radiators are found to be more cost effective with silicon than with gallium arsenide (GaAs) arrays. Representative concentrating arrays have been evaluated for both near-term and advanced solar cell technology. Minimum cost of power is achieved at geometric concentration ratios in the range 2 to 6.

Wildfire ignition resistant home design(WIRHD) program: Full-scale testing and demonstration final report.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Quarles, Stephen, L.; Sindelar, Melissa

2011-12-13

The primary goal of the Wildfire ignition resistant home design(WIRHD) program was to develop a home evaluation tool that could assess the ignition potential of a structure subjected to wildfire exposures. This report describes the tests that were conducted, summarizes the results, and discusses the implications of these results with regard to the vulnerabilities to homes and buildings.

The influence of facility and home pen design on the welfare of the laboratory-housed dog.

Science.gov (United States)

Scullion Hall, Laura E M; Robinson, Sally; Finch, John; Buchanan-Smith, Hannah M

We have an ethical and scientific obligation to Refine all aspects of the life of the laboratory-housed dog. Across industry there are many differences amongst facilities, home pen design and husbandry, as well as differences in features of the dogs such as strain, sex and scientific protocols. Understanding how these influence welfare, and hence scientific output is therefore critical. A significant proportion of dogs' lives are spent in the home pen and as such, the design can have a considerable impact on welfare. Although best practice guidelines exist, there is a paucity of empirical evidence to support the recommended Refinements and uptake varies across industry. In this study, we examine the effect of modern and traditional home pen design, overall facility design, husbandry, history of regulated procedures, strain and sex on welfare-indicating behaviours and mechanical pressure threshold. Six groups of dogs from two facilities (total n=46) were observed in the home pen and tested for mechanical pressure threshold. Dogs which were housed in a purpose-built modern facility or in a modern design home pen showed the fewest behavioural indicators of negative welfare (such as alert or pacing behaviours) and more indicators of positive welfare (such as resting) compared to those in a traditional home pen design or traditional facility. Welfare indicating behaviours did not vary consistently with strain, but male dogs showed more negative welfare indicating behaviours and had greater variation in these behaviours than females. Our findings showed more positive welfare indicating behaviours in dogs with higher mechanical pressure thresholds. We conclude that factors relating to the design of home pens and implementation of Refinements at the facility level have a significant positive impact on the welfare of laboratory-housed dogs, with a potential concomitant impact on scientific endpoints. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights

Design of Solar Heat Sheet for Air Heaters

Science.gov (United States)

Priya, S. Shanmuga; Premalatha, M.; Thirunavukkarasu, I.

2011-12-01

The technique of harnessing solar energy for drying offers significant potential to dry agricultural products such as food grains, fruits, vegetables and medicinal plants, thereby eliminating many of the problems experienced with open-sun drying and industrial drying, besides saving huge quantities of fossil fuels. A great deal of experimental work over the last few decades has already demonstrated that agricultural products can be satisfactorily dehydrated using solar energy. Various designs of small scale solar dryers have been developed in the recent past, mainly for drying agricultural products. Major problems experienced with solar dryers are their non-reliability as their operation largely depends on local weather conditions. While back-up heaters and hybrid dryers partly solved this issue, difficulties in controlling the drying air temperature and flow rate remains a problem, and affects the quality of the dried product. This study is aimed at eliminating the fluctuations in the quality of hot air supplied by simple solar air heaters used for drying fruits, vegetables and other applications. It is an attempt to analyse the applicability of the combination of an glazed transpired solar collector (tank), thermal storage and a intake fan(suction fan) to achieve a steady supply of air at a different atmospheric temperature and flow rate for drying fruits and vegetables. Development of an efficient, low-cost and reliable air heating system for drying applications is done.

Designs and Architectures for the Next Generation of Organic Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kang-Shyang Liao

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Organic solar cells show great promise as an economically and environmentally friendly technology to utilize solar energy because of their simple fabrication processes and minimal material usage. However, new innovations and breakthroughs are needed for organic solar cell technology to become competitive in the future. This article reviews research efforts and accomplishments focusing on three issues: power conversion efficiency, device stability and processability for mass production, followed by an outlook for optimizing OSC performance through device engineering and new architecture designs to realize next generation organic solar cells.

Off-design performance analysis of a solar-powered organic Rankine cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Jiangfeng; Yan, Zhequan; Zhao, Pan; Dai, Yiping

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Solar-powered organic Rankine cycle with CPC and thermal storage unit is studied. • Off-design performances encountering the changes of key parameters are examined. • Off-design performance is analyzed over a whole day and in different months. - Abstract: Performance evaluation of a thermodynamic system under off-design conditions is very important for reliable and cost-effective operation. In this study, an off-design model of an organic Rankine cycle driven by solar energy is established with compound parabolic collector (CPC) to collect the solar radiation and thermal storage unit to achieve the continuous operation of the overall system. The system off-design behavior is examined under the change in environment temperature, as well as thermal oil mass flow rates of vapor generator and CPC. In addition, the off-design performance of the system is analyzed over a whole day and in different months. The results indicate that a decrease in environment temperature, or the increases in thermal oil mass flow rates of vapor generator and CPC could improve the off-design performance. The system obtains the maximum average exergy efficiency in December and the maximum net power output in June or in September. Both the net power output and the average exergy efficiency reach minimum values in August

Task 9. Deployment of photovoltaic technologies: co-operation with developing countries. Summary of models for the implementation of solar home systems in developing countries - Part 2: Practical experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-03-15

This second part of a report for the International Energy Agency (IEA) made by Task 9 of the Photovoltaic Power Systems (PVPS) programme takes a look at the implementation of Solar Home Systems in developing countries. The objective of Task 9 is to increase the successful deployment of PV systems in developing countries. This summary outlines various models for the implementation of small domestic photovoltaic (PV) systems (Solar Home Systems, SHS) in developing countries. The first part of this two-part document discussed three generic models. Part 2 of the document is based on work prepared for the Renewable Energy Supply Models (RESUM) project. Examples are quoted which describe the operations of a number of companies supplying solar home systems in developing countries. These examples of practical experience provide a description of businesses, highlighting the success and failure factors of the organisations. They are only a sample of the many PV companies operating internationally and are not to be considered as a critical evaluation of the implementation models; they attempt to give the reader an idea of the realities of using the models in practice.

Design and experimental investigation of a Multi-segment plate concentrated photovoltaic solar energy system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Gang; Chen, Zeshao; Hu, Peng

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A multi-segment plate concentrated photovoltaic solar energy system was proposed. • A prototype of this new concentrator was developed for experimental investigation. • Experimental investigation results showed a good concentrating uniformity. - Abstract: Solar energy is one of the most promising renewable energies and meaningful for the sustainable development of energy source. A multi-segment plate concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar power system was proposed in this paper, the design principle of the multi-segment plate concentrator of this solar power system was given, which could provide uniform solar radiation flux density distribution on solar cells. A prototype of this multi-segment plate CPV solar power system was developed for the experimental study, aiming at the investigations of solar radiation flux density distribution and PV performances under this concentrator design. The experimental results showed that the solar radiation flux density distribution provided by the multi-segment plate concentrator had a good uniformity, and the number and temperature of solar cells both influence the photoelectric transformation efficiency of the CPV solar power system.

Design and Implementation of a WiFi Based Home Automation System

OpenAIRE

Ahmed ElShafee; Karim Alaa Hamed

2012-01-01

This paper presents a design and prototype implementation of new home automation system that uses WiFi technology as a network infrastructure connecting its parts. The proposed system consists of two main components; the first part is the server (web server), which presents system core that manages, controls, and monitors users- home. Users and system administrator can locally (LAN) or remotely (internet) manage and control system code. Second part is hardware interface m...

Consumer preferences for selection of solar home system in urban areas, pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gohar, K.

2014-01-01

Consumer preferences can lay foundation for determining key product attributes essential for the success of a product in the market, enabling the manufacturers optimally allocate resources towards imparting these critical attributes. However identification of consumer preferences especially for new products is a challenging task. This research investigated the consumer preference factors for solar home systems in Rawalpindi/Islamabad (Pakistan); applying MCDM (Multi Criteria Decision Making) approach, AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process) survey and analysis method is used for prioritization of the factors and comparison of decision alternatives. Fourteen factors grouped into five categories are selected. It has been found that the manufacturers have to emphasize on performance and functional attributes of these systems at this stage, the cost factors are comparatively lower in importance. Make and warranty, Environmental and Physical features are also lesser important to the early adopters. (author)

Multi-parameter optimization design of parabolic trough solar receiver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Jiangfeng; Huai, Xiulan

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The optimal condition can be obtained by multi-parameter optimization. • Exergy and thermal efficiencies are employed as objective function. • Exergy efficiency increases at the expense of heat losses. • The heat obtained by working fluid increases as thermal efficiency grows. - Abstract: The design parameters of parabolic trough solar receiver are interrelated and interact with one another, so the optimal performance of solar receiver cannot be obtained by the convectional single-parameter optimization. To overcome the shortcoming of single-parameter optimization, a multi-parameter optimization of parabolic trough solar receiver is employed based on genetic algorithm in the present work. When the thermal efficiency is taken as the objective function, the heat obtained by working fluid increases while the average temperature of working fluid and wall temperatures of solar receiver decrease. The average temperature of working fluid and the wall temperatures of solar receiver increase while the heat obtained by working fluid decreases generally by taking the exergy efficiency as an objective function. Assuming that the solar radiation intensity remains constant, the exergy obtained by working fluid increases by taking exergy efficiency as the objective function, which comes at the expense of heat losses of solar receiver.

Indoor Air Quality in 24 California Residences Designed as High Performance Green Homes

OpenAIRE

Less, Brennan

2012-01-01

Today’s high performance green homes are reaching previously unheard of levels of airtightness and are using new materials, technologies and strategies, whose impacts on IAQ cannot be fully determined by past efforts.  This research assessed IAQ in 24 new or deeply retrofitted homes designed to be high performance green buildings in California using pollutant measurements, home inspections, diagnostic testing and occupant surveys.  Measurements included six-day passive samples of nitrogen oxi...

Solar Home System (SHS) in rural Bangladesh: Ornamentation or fact of development?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahman, Syed M.; Ahmad, Mokbul M.

2013-01-01

Energy requirement has been growing every day due to higher population growth, and consequently higher consumption. About one third of rural households of Bangladesh are connected to the grid. To meet the gap, solar energy has been treated as a feasible option for people in rural areas where grid connections are not available. A good number of organizations have been working together to provide Solar Home System (SHS) in rural Bangladesh. There is little evidence that supply of small scale energy supports significant rural development. This paper aims at understanding how increased energy access through SHS in rural Bangladesh contributes towards rural development. Recent published literatures on SHS in Bangladesh have been studied to get insight into the technical, financial, and operational as well as economic and social issues. Later the findings have been critically analyzed with respect to selected indicators of rural development. The study identified that increased access to energy through SHS in rural Bangladesh provides mostly recreational and leisure benefits with the so called ‘social status’; income generation is negligible while support for education is average. - Highlights: • No specific proof is there to conclude that SHS has contributed to development. • SHS's contribution to income generation and employment is not significant. • SHS is mostly used for entertainment and to uplift the so called ‘social status’

Leaf Roof - Designing Luminescent Solar Concentrating PV Roof Tiles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reinders, Angelina H.M.E.; Doudart de la Gree, G.; Papadopoulos, A..; Rosemann, A.; Debije, M.G.; Cox, M.; Krumer, Zachar

2016-01-01

The Leaf Roof project on the design features of PV roof tiles using Luminescent Solar Concentrator (LSC) technology [1] has resulted in a functional prototype. The results are presented in the context of industrial product design with a focus on the aesthetic aspects of LSCs [2]. This paper outlines

How to solve materials and design problems in solar heating and cooling. Energy technology review No. 77

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ward, D.S.; Oberoi, H.S.; Weinstein, S.D.

1982-01-01

A broad range of difficulties encountered in active and passive solar space heating systems and active solar space cooling systems is covered. The problems include design errors, installation mistakes, inadequate durability of materials, unacceptable reliability of components, and wide variations in performance and operation of different solar systems. Feedback from designers and manufacturers involved in the solar market is summarized. The designers' experiences with and criticisms of solar components are presented, followed by the manufacturers' replies to the various problems encountered. Information is presented on the performance and operation of solar heating and cooling systems so as to enable future designs to maximize performance and eliminate costly errors. (LEW)

Passive solar energy-efficient architectural building Design ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this paper analyses have been done on the climate data for various climatic regions in North Cyprus to obtain physical architectural building design specification with a view to develop passive solar energy-efficient building. It utilizes a computer program, ARCHIPAK, together with climate data (for 25 year period) to get ...

Design investigation and evaluation of low cost line concentrated solar cooker

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarvoththama Jothi, T.J. [SASTRA Deemed Univ., Tirumalaisamudram, Thanjavur (India). School of Mechanical Engineering

2004-07-01

Enormous amount of energy is wasted in the form of heat for the purpose of cooking all around the world. Broad ranges of technologies are required around the world to incorporate the energy required for cooking. We have efficiently designed and developed a device named Line Concentrated Solar Cooker for the purpose of cooking and heating water or even pasteurization of drinking water. It is distinct from other type of cooker that is using the same old technologies. More over this device can be constructed by means of an inexpensive, commonly available material, thus providing a low-cost option suitable for household use in the developing world. This device was mainly designed from the input taken from the houses of four members each at various places. Its design and performance were evaluated at the laboratory including the efficiency tests. A model of such device was developed which gave the maximum efficiency of around 27 %. This Line Concentrated Solar Cooker has been mainly designed to prevent tracking mechanism, which is the main draw back for other concentrated type solar cooker. In order to prevent tracking mechanism, the design has been made in such a manner that the maximum sunrays are impinging on the reflecting surface of the Line Concentrated Solar Cooker all the time. Hence, minimum of at least 35 percent of the area of the Line Concentrated Solar Cooker is exposed to the sunlight at 8:00 AM and maximum of 100 percentage by noon and gradually decreases by evening as the sun sets. This model gave us a good results leading to excellent heating effect from morning to evening. Hence the heating effect gradually increased from morning to maximum at noon. (orig.)

Proceedings of the Canadian Solar Buildings Conference : the 31. annual conference of the Solar Energy Society of Canada Inc. and the 1. Canadian Solar Buildings Research Network conference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Athienitis, A.; Charron, R.; Karava, P.; Stylianou, M.; Tzempelikos, A.

2006-01-01

The first conference organized by the newly established Canadian Solar Buildings Research Network (SBRN) was held in conjunction with the thirty-first annual conference of the Solar Energy Society of Canada Inc (SESCI). The conference was attended by top researchers from 10 Canadian Universities to promote innovative research and development in solar energy applications and to advance the awareness of solar energy in Canada. It featured special events such as trade shows, photovoltaic workshops, a course in ESP-r simulation, tours of solar houses and other events focused on the economic, environmental and socio-economic benefits of solar technology, including the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. SBRN was founded on the premise that university researchers should focus on solar energy applications for buildings. Several presentations proposed action plans to accelerate the implementation of solar energy through the use of innovative building technologies and sustainable energy policies. Other major issues of interest were also discussed, including the development of the net-zero energy solar home and grid-connection issues. The sessions of the conference were entitled: solar thermal systems; solar electricity; building integrated photovoltaic systems; design issues and tools; integrating PV and solar thermal in buildings; daylighting and solar radiation modeling; fenestration and shading; PV manufacturing and solar electricity resources. The proceedings featured 41 refereed papers and 13 poster presentations, all of which have been catalogued separately for inclusion in this database. refs., tabs., figs

Task 9. Deployment of photovoltaic technologies: co-operation with developing countries. Summary of models for the implementation of solar home systems in developing countries - Part 1: Summary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-03-15

This first part of a two-part report for the International Energy Agency (IEA) made by Task 9 of the Photovoltaic Power Systems (PVPS) programme takes a look at the implementation of Solar Home systems in developing countries. The objective of Task 9 is to increase the successful deployment of PV systems in developing countries. This summary outlines various models for the implementation of small domestic photovoltaic (PV) systems (Solar Home Systems, SHS) in developing countries. Part 1 of this two-part document discusses three generic models. The second, separate part of the document provides a number of examples demonstrating the models described. This report focuses on the implementation of SHS. However, a considerable amount of the PV market in developing countries is stated as consisting of large systems providing electricity for social services, such as light for schools, mosques, churches, communal centres, refrigeration for health centres and drinking water for communities. It is noted that there are considerable differences between the 'social market' and the 'private market' for SHS. The 'social market' generally consists of large systems but fewer in number. The guide does not cover the detailed technical aspects of a Solar Home System or the issue of recycling old batteries.

Solar Power Station Output Inverter Control Design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Bauer

2011-04-01

Full Text Available The photovoltaic applications spreads in these days fast, therefore they also undergo great development. Because the amount of the energy obtained from the panel depends on the surrounding conditions, as intensity of the sun exposure or the temperature of the solar array, the converter must be connected to the panel output. The Solar system equipped with inverter can supply small loads like notebooks, mobile chargers etc. in the places where the supplying network is not present. Or the system can be used as a generator and it shall deliver energy to the supply network. Each type of the application has different requirements on the converter and its control algorithm. But for all of them the one thing is common – the maximal efficiency. The paper focuses on design and simulation of the low power inverter that acts as output part of the whole converter. In the paper the design of the control algorithm of the inverter for both types of inverter application – for islanding mode and for operation on the supply grid – is discussed. Attention is also paid to the design of the output filter that should reduce negative side effects of the converter on the supply network.

Design and Analysis of Solar Smartflower Simulation by Solidwork Program

Science.gov (United States)

Mulyana, Tatang; Sebayang, Darwin; Fajrina, Fildzah; Raihan; Faizal, M.

2018-03-01

The potential of solar energy that is so large in Indonesia can be a driving force for the use of renewable energy as a solution for energy needs. Government with the community can utilize and optimize this technology to increase the electrification ratio up to 100% in all corners of Indonesia. Because of its modular and practical nature, making this technology easy to apply. One of the latest imported products that have started to be offered and sold in Indonesia but not yet widely used for solar power generation is the kind of smartflower. Before using the product, it is of course very important and immediately to undertake an in-depth study of the utilization, use, maintenance, repair, component supply and fabrication. The best way to know the above is through a review of the design and simulation. To meet this need, this paper presents a solar-smartflower design and then simulated using the facilities available in the solidwork program. Solid simulation express is a tool that serves to create power simulation of a design part modelling. With the simulation is very helpful at all to reduce errors in making design. Accurate or not a design created is also influenced by several other factors such as material objects, the silent part of the part, and the load given. The simulation is static simulation and body battery drop test, and based on the results of this simulation is known that the design results have been very satisfactory.

Barrier potential design criteria in multiple-quantum-well-based solar-cell structures

Science.gov (United States)

Mohaidat, Jihad M.; Shum, Kai; Wang, W. B.; Alfano, R. R.

1994-01-01

The barrier potential design criteria in multiple-quantum-well (MQW)-based solar-cell structures is reported for the purpose of achieving maximum efficiency. The time-dependent short-circuit current density at the collector side of various MQW solar-cell structures under resonant condition was numerically calculated using the time-dependent Schroedinger equation. The energy efficiency of solar cells based on the InAs/Ga(y)In(1-y)As and GaAs/Al(x)Ga(1-x)As MQW structues were compared when carriers are excited at a particular solar-energy band. Using InAs/Ga(y)In(1-y)As MQW structures it is found that a maximum energy efficiency can be achieved if the structure is designed with barrier potential of about 450 meV. The efficiency is found to decline linearly as the barrier potential increases for GaAs/Al(x)Ga(1-x)As MQW-structure-based solar cells.

Design of a Solar Tracking Interactive Kiosk

Science.gov (United States)

Greene, Nathaniel R.; Brunskill, Jeffrey C.

2017-01-01

A two-axis solar tracker and its interactive kiosk were designed by an interdisciplinary team of students and faculty. The objective was to develop a publicly accessible kiosk that would facilitate the study of energy usage and production on campus. Tracking is accomplished by an open-loop algorithm, microcontroller, and ham radio rotator. Solar…

Telemedicine in Neonatal Home Care: Identifying Parental Needs Through Participatory Design.

Science.gov (United States)

Garne, Kristina; Brødsgaard, Anne; Zachariassen, Gitte; Clemensen, Jane

2016-07-08

For the majority of preterm infants, the last weeks of hospital admission mainly concerns tube feeding and establishment of breastfeeding. Neonatal home care (NH) was developed to allow infants to remain at home for tube feeding and establishment of breastfeeding with regular home visits from neonatal nurses. For hospitals covering large regions, home visits may be challenging, time consuming, and expensive and alternative approaches must be explored. To identify parental needs when wanting to provide neonatal home care supported by telemedicine. The study used participatory design and qualitative methods. Data were collected from observational studies, individual interviews, and focus group interviews. Two neonatal units participated. One unit was experienced in providing neonatal home care with home visits, and the other planned to offer neonatal home care with telemedicine support. A total of 9 parents with preterm infants assigned to a neonatal home care program and 10 parents with preterm infants admitted to a neonatal unit participated in individual interviews and focus group interviews, respectively. Three overall themes were identified: being a family, parent self-efficacy, and nurse-provided security. Parents expressed desire for the following: (1) a telemedicine device to serve as a "bell cord" to the neonatal unit, giving 24-hour access to nurses, (2) video-conferencing to provide security at home, (3) timely written email communication with the neonatal unit, and (4) an online knowledge base on preterm infant care, breastfeeding, and nutrition. Our findings highlight the importance of neonatal home care. NH provides parents with a feeling of being a family, supports their self-efficacy, and gives them a feeling of security when combined with nursing guidance. Parents did not request hands-on support for infant care, but instead expressed a need for communication and guidance, which could be met using telemedicine.

DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Case Study, Weiss Building & Development, LLC., System Home, River Forest, Illinois

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2013-09-01

The Passive House Challenge Home located in River Forest, Illinois, is a 5-bedroom, 4.5-bath, 3,600 ft2 two-story home (plus basement) that costs about $237 less per month to operate than a similar sized home built to the 2009 IECC. For a home with no solar photovoltaic panels installed, it scored an amazingly low 27 on the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) score.An ENERGY STAR-rated dishwasher, clothes washer, and refrigerator; an induction cooktop, condensing clothes dryer, and LED lighting are among the energy-saving devices inside the home. All plumbing fixtures comply with EPA WaterSense criteria. The home was awarded a 2013 Housing Innovation Award in the "systems builder" category.

Design package for concentrating solar collector panels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1978-08-01

Information used to evaluate the design of the Northrup concentrating collector is presented. Included are the system performance specifications, the applications manual, and the detailed design drawings of the collector. The Northrup concentrating solar collector is a water/glycol/working fluid type, dipped galvanized steel housing, transparent acrylic Fresnel lens cover, copper absorber tube, fiber glass insulation and weighs 98 pounds. The gross collector area is about 29.4/sup 2/ per collector. A collector assembly includes four collector units within a tracking mount array.

A heat receiver design for solar dynamic space power systems

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Karl W.; Dustin, Miles O.; Crane, Roger

1990-01-01

An advanced heat pipe receiver designed for a solar dynamic space power system is described. The power system consists of a solar concentrator, solar heat receiver, Stirling heat engine, linear alternator and waste heat radiator. The solar concentrator focuses the sun's energy into a heat receiver. The engine and alternator convert a portion of this energy to electric power and the remaining heat is rejected by a waste heat radiator. Primary liquid metal heat pipes transport heat energy to the Stirling engine. Thermal energy storage allows this power system to operate during the shade portion of an orbit. Lithium fluoride/calcium fluoride eutectic is the thermal energy storage material. Thermal energy storage canisters are attached to the midsection of each heat pipe. The primary heat pipes pass through a secondary vapor cavity heat pipe near the engine and receiver interface. The secondary vapor cavity heat pipe serves three important functions. First, it smooths out hot spots in the solar cavity and provides even distribution of heat to the engine. Second, the event of a heat pipe failure, the secondary heat pipe cavity can efficiently transfer heat from other operating primary heat pipes to the engine heat exchanger of the defunct heat pipe. Third, the secondary heat pipe vapor cavity reduces temperature drops caused by heat flow into the engine. This unique design provides a high level of reliability and performance.

Solar energy in Israel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zvirin, Y.; Zamkow, S.

1993-01-01

The state of Israel has been a pioneer in the solar energy development and utilization since it was founded. In the 50's solar domestic home heaters became commercially available. At the same time research work has been started in different areas of solar energy, which led to more advanced solar systems for additional applications. The presentation includes some details of commercial utilization of solar energy and a brief description of the main Research and Development projects in industry, universities and research institutes. (authors)

Rectenna System Design. [energy conversion solar power satellites

Science.gov (United States)

Woodcock, G. R.; Andryczyk, R. W.

1980-01-01

The fundamental processes involved in the operation of the rectenna system designed for the solar power satellite system are described. The basic design choices are presented based on the desired microwave rf field concentration prior to rectification and based on the ground clearance requirements for the rectenna structure. A nonconcentrating inclined planar panel with a 2 meter minimum clearance configuration is selected as a representative of the typical rectenna.

The socio-technical barriers to Solar Home Systems (SHS) in Papua New Guinea: 'Choosing pigs, prostitutes, and poker chips over panels'

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sovacool, Benjamin K., E-mail: bsovacool@nus.edu.s [Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, 469C Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 259772 (Singapore); D' Agostino, Anthony L.; Jain Bambawale, Malavika [Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, 469C Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 259772 (Singapore)

2011-03-15

This study explores the socio-technical barriers to Solar Home Systems (SHS) in Papua New Guinea. The authors collected primary data through semi-structured research interviews conducted over the course of February 2010-April 2010. Respondents included government officials, financiers, planners, commercial distributors and companies, teachers and rural villagers in addition to members of civil society, academics, consultants, and trainers. These interviews were supplemented with site visits to Port Moresby, Goroka, and Madang, and field research in the villages of Akameku, Asaroka, Lufa, Kundiawa, Okifa, Simbu, and Talidig. The study draws from these interviews and visits to discuss four types of barriers. Technical barriers relate to substandard equipment and logistical problems. Economic barriers include high rates of poverty, misconceptions about the role of currency, and lack of financing. Political barriers include poor institutional capacity and a government commitment to fossil-fueled grid electrification. Social barriers encompass unrealistic expectations about what SHS can provide along with jealousy, theft, vandalism, and unfamiliarity with solar technology. - Research highlights: {yields} Solar Home Systems (SHS) are impeded by a collection of different barriers in Papua New Guinea. {yields} Technical barriers relate to substandard equipment and logistical problems. {yields} Economic barriers include high rates of poverty, misconceptions about the role of currency, and lack of financing.{yields} Political barriers include poor institutional capacity and a government commitment to fossil-fueled grid electrification. {yields} Social barriers encompass unrealistic expectations about what SHS can provide along with jealousy, theft, vandalism, and unfamiliarity with solar technology.

Sustainable solar home systems model: Applying lessons from Bangladesh to Myanmar's rural poor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Newcombe, Alex; Ackom, Emmanuel

2017-01-01

Myanmar's rural population has very low access to electricity, mainly due to low disposal income and the remoteness of communities. This paper attempts to test the potential applicability of Grameen Shakti-Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL), which is a Bangladeshi public private...... partnership microfinance model, to rural Myanmar towards enhanced solar home systems (SHS) deployment. Rural poor are enabled by this microfinancing scheme to own SHSs in a few years for as low as US$6.40 per month. The objectives of this paper are to assess the experience of Grameen Shakti-IDCOL and other...... similar projects for invaluable lessons, identify barriers to sustainable electrification for Myanmar's rural poor and to apply these lessons learned to overcome barriers by developing policy recommendations for sustainable electrification for rural poor in Myanmar. Recommendations are provided suggesting...

Design and Optimisation of Home Scale Greywater Recycling Package

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

a/l Arugam Kalaichelvan

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Water crisis is becoming one of the biggest challenges in some countries due to over population and drought. Therefore, government and non-government organisations in well-developed countries are encouraging industries to install water recycling package to reduce water usage and consume greywater instead. However the home scale is not yet available in the market. This research focuses on design a home scale greywater treatment system for toilet flushing within 3,000 to 5,000 USD as a collaboration with DD Techniche Sdn Bhd. Greywater is the waste water produced from laundry, kitchen and bathroom except the toilet waste and contains suspended solids, microorganisms, oil, nitrates and phosphorus which needs to be treated using suitable types of treatment for safe reuse. The treatments include physical, chemical and biological water treatment in which in this study the proposed system is a combination of all three. The design is evaluated using experimental methods to meet the standard of toilet flushing quality. The greywater system consists of the mechanical parts to control the flow of greywater and store the treated water including pumps, sand filtration tank, wire mesh chassis and collection tank. The final design has dimension of 6 m3 and optimised price within the budget.

Installation package - home solar heater

Science.gov (United States)

1980-01-01

Installation of commerical solar-heating system at two story, three bedroom house in New Hampshire is described in 65 page report. System collectors are integrated part of building replacing conventional roofing or siding. Report also includes general description of system, its operation and guidelines, orientation and references.

DESIGNING THE SET IN NIGERIAN HOME VIDEO FILMS: A STUDY ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Mitch

This paper takes a look at designing the set for the Nigerian home movie industry using Amazing ... Some film masterpieces use man only as an accessory ... environments of the scene, that the people in an action react in accordance with or in.

Design, fabrication and performance of a hybrid photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) active solar still

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Shiv; Tiwari, Arvind

2010-01-01

Two solar stills (single slope passive and single slope photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) active solar still) were fabricated and tested at solar energy park, IIT New Delhi (India) for composite climate. Photovoltaic operated DC water pump was used between solar still and photovoltaic (PV) integrated flat plate collector to re-circulate the water through the collectors and transfer it to the solar still. The newly designed hybrid (PV/T) active solar still is self-sustainable and can be used in remote areas, need to transport distilled water from a distance and not connected to grid, but blessed with ample solar energy. Experiments were performed for 0.05, 0.10, and 0.15 m water depth, round the year 2006-2007 for both the stills. It has been observed that maximum daily yield of 2.26 kg and 7.22 kg were obtained from passive and hybrid active solar still, respectively at 0.05 m water depth. The daily yield from hybrid active solar still is around 3.2 and 5.5 times higher than the passive solar still in summer and winter month, respectively. The study has shown that this design of the hybrid active solar still also provides higher electrical and overall thermal efficiency, which is about 20% higher than the passive solar still.

A high-performance stand-alone solar PV power system for LED lighting

KAUST Repository

Huang, B. J.

2010-06-01

The present study developed a high-performance solar PV power technology for the LED lighting of a solar home system. The nMPPO (near-Maximum-Power- Point- Operation) design is employed in system design to eliminate MPPT. A feedback control system using pulse width modulation (PWM) technique was developed for battery charging control which can increase the charging capacity by 78%. For high-efficiency lighting, the LED is directly driven by battery using a PWM discharge control to eliminate a DC/DC converter. Two solar-powered LED lighting systems (50W and 100W LED) were built. The long-term outdoor tests have shown that the loss of load probability for full-night lighting requirement is zero for 50W LED and 3.6% for 100W LED. © 2010 IEEE.

Towards prioritizing flexibility in the design and construction of concentrating solar power plants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Topel, Monika; Lundqvist, Mårten; Haglind, Fredrik

2017-01-01

In the operation and maintenance of concentrating solar power plants, high operational flexibility is required in order to withstand the variability from the inherent solar fluctuations. However, during the development phases of a solar thermal plant, this important objective is overlooked...... as a relevant factor for cost reduction in the long term. This paper will show the value of including flexibility aspects in the design of a concentrating solar power plant by breaking down their potential favorable impact on the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) calculations. For this, three scenarios...... to include flexibility as a design objective are analyzed and their potential impact on the LCOE is quantified. The scenarios were modeled and analyzed using a techno-economic model of a direct steam generation solar tower power plant. Sensitivity studies were carried out for each scenario, in which...

Design and experiment of a new solar air heating collector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shams, S.M.N.; Mc Keever, M.; Mc Cormack, S.; Norton, B.

2016-01-01

This paper presents the design and experiment of a CTAH (Concentrating Transpired Air Heating) system. A newly designed solar air heating collector comprised of an inverted perforated absorber and an asymmetric compound parabolic concentrator was applied to increase the intensity of solar radiation incident on the perforated absorber. An extensive literature review was carried out to find the vital factors to improve optical and thermal efficiency of solar air heating systems. A stationary optical concentrator has been designed and experimented. Experimental thermal efficiency remained high at higher air flow rates. The average thermal efficiency was found to be approximately 55%–65% with average radiation above 400 W/m"2 for flow rates in the range of 0.03 kg/s/m"2 to 0.09 kg/s/m"2. Experimental results at air flow rates of 0.03 kg/s/m"2 and 0.09 kg/s/m"2 showed temperature rise of 38 °C and 19.6 °C respectively at a solar radiation intensity of 1000 W/m"2. A comparative performance study shows the thermal performance of CTAH. As the absorber of the CTAH facing downward, it avoids radiation loss and the perforated absorber with tertiary concentrator reduces thermal losses from the system. - Highlights: • Literature review was carried out to improve SAH system performance. • Optimisation factors were optical efficiency; heat loss, weight and cost. • Concentrator was designed to concentrate radiation for 6–7 h. • The highest efficiency of CTAH can be 73%. • It can work as efficient as 60% for a temperature rise of 70 °C.

Solar Plus: A Holistic Approach to Distributed Solar PV | Solar Research |

Science.gov (United States)

customer economics. Illustration titled "The Solar Plus Home," showing depicting the relationship rate structures that affect the customer value of PV generation. At the same time, increasing PV . These issues have prompted the PV industry to consider new ways to optimize the customer value of

Simulation prototyping of an experimental solar house

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Osborne, A.; Baur, S. [Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, 1401 Pine Street, Rolla, MO 65409 (United States); Grantham, K. [Department of Engineering Management, Missouri University of Science and Technology, 600 W. 14th Street, Rolla, MO 65409 (United States)

2010-06-15

This paper presents a comparative analysis between an energy simulation model and an actual solar home. The case study used was the Team Missouri's 2009 Solar Decathlon entry. The home was evaluated using the predicted data developed with the use of Energy-10 Version 1.8. The software simulates the energy use performance of building strategies ranging from building envelope and system efficiency options. The performance data used was collected during the 2009 Solar Decathlon competition. Results comparing energy efficient strategies, consumption and generation are explored with future implications discussed. (authors)

Can industry afford solar energy

Science.gov (United States)

Kreith, F.; Bezdek, R.

1983-03-01

Falling oil prices and conservation measures have reduced the economic impetus to develop new energy sources, thus decreasing the urgency for bringing solar conversion technologies to commercial readiness at an early date. However, the capability for solar to deliver thermal energy for industrial uses is proven. A year-round operation would be three times as effective as home heating, which is necessary only part of the year. Flat plate, parabolic trough, and solar tower power plant demonstration projects, though uneconomically operated, have revealed engineering factors necessary for successful use of solar-derived heat for industrial applications. Areas of concern have been categorized as technology comparisons, load temperatures, plant size, location, end-use, backup requirements, and storage costs. Tax incentives have, however, supported home heating and not industrial uses, and government subsidies have historically gone to conventional energy sources. Tax credit programs which could lead to a 20% market penetration by solar energy in the industrial sector by the year 2000 are presented.

CISBAT 2007 - Solar collectors (heat and electricity)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

This is the third part of the proceedings of the 2007 CISBAT conference on Renewables in a changing climate, held in Lausanne, Switzerland. On the subject of Building and urban integration of renewables the following oral contributions are summarised: 'Facade integration of solar thermal collectors: present and future', 'Long term experiences with a versatile PV in roof system', 'Development of a design and performance prediction tool for the ground source heat pump and underground thermal storage system', 'Hygrothermal performance of earth-to-air heat exchanger: long-term data evaluation and short-term simulation' as well as 'The real cost of heating your home: a comparative assessment of home energy systems with external costs'. Poster-sessions on the subject include 'Central solar heating plants with seasonal heat storage', 'Analysis of forced convection for evaporative air flow and heat transfer in PV cooling channels', 'Renewable energy technology in Mali: constraints and options for a sustainable development', 'Effect of duct width in ducted photovoltaic facades', 'Design and actual measurement of a ground source heat pump system using steel foundation piles as ground heat exchangers', 'Development of an integrated water-water heat pump unit for low energy house and its application', 'PV effect in multilayer cells and blending of fullerene/poly (3-hexylthiophene) and phthalocyanine having NIR charge transfer absorption band', 'CdTe photovoltaic systems - an alternative energetic', 'Integration of renewable energy sources in a town, examples in Grenoble', 'A prospective analysis method for the conception of solar integration solutions in buildings' and 'Energy and aesthetic improvements for building integration of cost effective solar energy systems'. Further groups of presentations at the conference are reported on in separate database records. An index of authors completes the proceedings

Designing for Co-located Social Media Use in the Home - Using the CASOME Infrastructure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Marianne Graves; Ludvigsen, Martin; Grønbæk, Kaj

2007-01-01

A range of research has pointed to empirical studies of the use of domestic materials as a useful insight when designing future interactive systems for homes. In this paper we describe how we designed a system from the basis of lessons from such studies. Our system applies the CASOME infrastructure...... (context-aware interactive media platform for social computing in the home) to construct a system supporting distributed and collaborative handling of digital materials in a domestic context. It contains a collective platform for handling digital materials in the home and also contains a range of connected...... interactive surfaces supporting the flow of digital materials around the physical home. We discuss applications and use scenarios of the system, and finally, we present experiences from lab and field tests of the system. The main contribution of the paper is that it illustrates how insights from empirical...

Establishing Design Strategies and an Assessment Tool of Home Appliances to Promote Sustainable Behavior for the New Poor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jui-Che Tu

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Environmental benefits related to home appliance life cycles depend on how these products are used. Designing home appliances that promote sustainable behavior is an effective way to reduce environmental impacts. This study aimed to increase relevant opportunities for promoting sustainable behavior practices on the new poor through home appliances, which is rarely discussed in the fields of design for sustainable behavior (DfSB and product design. In particular, relevant assessment tools or indicators are lacking in DfSB, and people’s use of home appliances is generally unsustainable. Therefore, repertory grid technology was used to understand the perceptions of the new poor, develop an assessment tool, and construct design strategies for home appliances that promote sustainable behavior. Data were collected from the new poor and from designers. Through cluster and principal component analyses, three strategy types were proposed that corresponded to different product features, suggestions, and guidance. In addition, the effectiveness and potential of an assessment tool were demonstrated using the Wilcoxon rank test. The findings could be used by designers, retailers, and green marketers to propose effective product design programs that promote sustainable behavior of the new poor during product use.

Passive solar design studies for non-domestic buildings. Case studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1988-01-01

Of the passive solar designs reported, those for a light industrial building, a nurses hostel and a low rise office block were considered to be clearly cost effective. A retrofit study of a secondary school showed that incorporating passive solar measures into refurbishment could be cost effective. Designs for a sports hall and medium rise office block were considered to be only marginally cost effective and those for a hotel bedroom block and DIY superstore were judged not to be cost effective. The maximization of daylight penetration coupled with controls on the lighting systems produced the main energy saving. This orientation, built form, fenestration, window shape, perimeter (and overhead) daylight and atria were primary solar features. Direct gain considered in conjunction with building weight/response factor could contribute to a lesser degree. Trombe walls were shown to be generally uneconomic for this type of building and conservatories contributed to amenity value more than to savings.

DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF AUGMENTATIVE AND ALTERNATIVE DIGITAL HOME CONTROL INTERFACE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matteo Pastorino

2013-05-01

Full Text Available An inquiry of the National Statistics Institute of Spain shows that 74% of the Spanish population with disabilities suffers some kind of limitation performing Daily Basic Activities, while 1.39 million cannot perform them at all without the assistance of specialized personnel. Digital Home Systems could mitigate disabled people’s difficulties to carry out those activities, giving the opportunity to manage home appliances through a single control. Digital Home Systems have to provide specific and adapted control interfaces based on Augmentative and Alternative Communication languages in order to be an efficient solution to the problem and to allow most vulnerable groups of people with disabilities to reach the highest level of autonomy.  This paper describes a Digital Home Interface capable of adapting layouts, styles and contents to device capability, user preferences and appliances’ features; designed with a combination of web technologies, standard languages for abstract interface definition and AAC systems.

Design, Construction and Evaluation of a Dry Solar Sterilizer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hernández Fereira, Arcelio A.

2017-01-01

The objective of the work was the search of an alternative for sterilization using solar energy. For such purposes, a dry solar sterilizer of 4276 cm3 capacity was designed, constructed and evaluated. Potential users would be rural medical posts in areas without electricity, health posts in military units under field conditions, and experimental microbiology stations. The evaluation included the determination of the energy efficiency of the sterilizer, the economic evaluation against other variants and the biological safety assessment. The developed equipment reached the sterilization temperature for levels of the direct component of the solar radiation higher than 300 W/m2 in 14 minutes, corresponding to an average heating rate of 13 0C/minute, higher than that of an electric furnace. Its energy efficiency with direct solar radiation of 310.5 W/m2 was 53.79%. The equipment is of easy construction, simple operation and very low cost. (author)

Solar water heating for aquaculture : optimizing design for sustainability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McDonald, M.; Thwaites, J. [Taylor Munro Energy Systems Inc., Delta, BC (Canada)

2003-08-01

This paper presents the results of a solar water heating project at Redfish Ranch, the first Tilapia tropical fish farm in British Columbia. The fish are raised in land-based tanks, eliminating the risk of contamination of local ecosystems. As a tropical species, they requires warm water. Natural gas or propane boilers are typically used to maintain tank temperatures at 26 to 28 degrees C. Redfish Ranch uses solar energy to add heat to the fish tanks, thereby reducing fossil-fuel combustion and greenhouse gas emissions. This unique building-integrated solar system is improving the environmental status of of this progressive industrial operation by offsetting fossil-fuel consumption. The system was relatively low cost, although substantial changes had to be made to the roof of the main building. The building-integrated design of the solar water heating system has reduced operating costs, generated local employment, and shows promise of future activity. As such, it satisfies the main criteria for sustainability. 7 refs.

Optical and thermal design of 1.5-m aperture solar UV visible and IR observing telescope for Solar-C mission

Science.gov (United States)

Suematsu, Y.; Katsukawa, Y.; Shimizu, T.; Ichimoto, K.; Horiuchi, T.; Matsumoto, Y.; Takeyama, N.

2017-11-01

The next Japanese solar mission, SOLAR-C, which has been envisaged after successful science operation of Hinode (SOLAR-B) mission, is perusing two plans: plan-A and plan-B, and under extensive study from science objectives as well as engineering point of view. The plan-A aims at performing out-of-ecliptic observations for investigating, with helioseismic approach, internal structure and dynamo mechanisms of the Sun. It also explores polar regions where fast solar wind is believed to originate. A baseline orbit for plan-A is a circular orbit of 1 AU distance from the Sun with its inclination at around or greater than 40 degrees. The plan-B aims to study small-scale plasma processes and structures in the solar atmosphere which attract researchers' growing interest, followed by many Hinode discoveries [1], for understanding fully dynamism and magnetic nature of the atmosphere. With plan-B, high-angular-resolution investigation of the entire solar atmosphere (from the photosphere to the corona, including their interface layers, i.e., chromosphere and transition region) is to be performed with enhanced spectroscopic and spectro-polarimetric capability as compared with Hinode, together with enhanced sensitivity towards ultra-violet wavelengths. The orbit of plan-B is either a solar synchronous polar orbit of altitude around 600 km or a geosynchronous orbit to ensure continuous solar observations. After the decision of any one of the two plans, the SOLAR-C will be proposed for launch in mid-2010s. In this paper, we will present a basic design of one of major planned instrumental payload for the plan-B: the Solar Ultra-violet Visible and near IR observing Telescope (hereafter referred to as SUVIT). The basic concept in designing the SUVIT is to utilize as much as possible a heritage of successful telescope of the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) aboard Hinode [2]. Major differences of SUVIT from SOT are the three times larger aperture of 1.5 m, which enables to collect one

Builder experience with low-cost high-value passive solar

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aitken, D.W.; Neuffer, P.

1993-01-01

This article reports on passive solar tract home construction in the Reno, Nevada, area, that has enhanced the builder's market, made buying a home more affordable for the entry-level customer and made living in that home more attractive, displaced energy at $1.50/MMBtu, and attracted the local utility into seriously considering offering cash incentives for the construction and sale of those homes as a very cost-effective gas demand side management program. The builder's solar models, costs and marketing experience are described, and the utility's economic analysis is presented

The Development of a Design and Construction Process Protocol to Support the Home Modification Process Delivered by Occupational Therapists.

Science.gov (United States)

Russell, Rachel; Ormerod, Marcus; Newton, Rita

2018-01-01

Modifying the home environments of older people as they age in place is a well-established health and social care intervention. Using design and construction methods to redress any imbalance caused by the ageing process or disability within the home environment, occupational therapists are seen as the experts in this field of practice. However, the process used by occupational therapists when modifying home environments has been criticised for being disorganised and not founded on theoretical principles and concepts underpinning the profession. To address this issue, research was conducted to develop a design and construction process protocol specifically for home modifications. A three-stage approach was taken for the analysis of qualitative data generated from an online survey, completed by 135 occupational therapists in the UK. Using both the existing occupational therapy intervention process model and the design and construction process protocol as the theoretical frameworks, a 4-phase, 9-subphase design and construction process protocol for home modifications was developed. Overall, the study is innovative in developing the first process protocol for home modifications, potentially providing occupational therapists with a systematic and effective approach to the design and delivery of home modification services for older and disabled people.

High performance integrated solar combined cycles with minimum modifications to the combined cycle power plant design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manente, Giovanni

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Off-design model of a 390 MW_e three pressure combined cycle developed and validated. • The off-design model is used to evaluate different hybridization schemes with solar. • Power boosting and fuel saving with different design modifications are considered. • Maximum solar share of total electricity is only 1% with the existing equipment. • The maximum incremental solar radiation-to-electrical efficiency approaches 29%. - Abstract: The integration of solar energy into natural gas combined cycles has been successfully demonstrated in several integrated solar combined cycles since the beginning of this decade in many countries. There are many motivations that drive investments on integrated solar combined cycles which are primarily the repowering of existing power plants, the compliance with more severe environmental laws on emissions and the mitigation of risks associated with large solar projects. Integrated solar combined cycles are usually developed as brownfield facilities by retrofitting existing natural gas combined cycles and keeping the existing equipment to minimize costs. In this work a detailed off-design model of a 390 MW_e three pressure level natural gas combined cycle is built to evaluate different integration schemes of solar energy which either keep the equipment of the combined cycle unchanged or include new equipment (steam turbine, heat recovery steam generator). Both power boosting and fuel saving operation strategies are analyzed in the search for the highest annual efficiency and solar share. Results show that the maximum incremental power output from solar at design solar irradiance is limited to 19 MW_e without modifications to the existing equipment. Higher values are attainable only including a larger steam turbine. High solar radiation-to-electrical efficiencies in the range 24–29% can be achieved in the integrated solar combined cycle depending on solar share and extension of tube banks in the heat recovery

System design package for SIMS Prototype System 4, solar heating and domestic hot water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1978-11-01

This report is a collation of documents and drawings that describe a prototype solar heating and hot water system using air type solar energy collection techniques. The system consists of a modular designed prepackaged solar unit containing solar collctors, a rock storage container, blowers, dampers, ducting, air-to-water heat exchanger, DHW preheat tank, piping and system controls. The system was designed to be installed adjacent to a small single family dwelling. The description, performance specification, subsystem drawings, verification plan/procedure, and hazard analysis of the system are packaged for evaluation of the system with inforation sufficient to assemble a similar system. The prepackage solar unit has been installed at the Mississippi Power and Light Company, Training Facilities, Clinton, Mississippi.

Solar energy for process heat: Design/cost studies of four industrial retrofit applications

Science.gov (United States)

French, R. L.; Bartera, R. E.

1978-01-01

Five specific California plants with potentially attractive solar applications were identified in a process heat survey. These five plants were visited, process requirements evaluated, and conceptual solar system designs were generated. Four DOE (ERDA) sponsored solar energy system demonstration projects were also reviewed and compared to the design/cost cases included in this report. In four of the five cases investigated, retrofit installations providing significant amounts of thermal energy were found to be feasible. The fifth was rejected because of the condition of the building involved, but the process (soap making) appears to be an attractive potential solar application. Costs, however, tend to be high. Several potential areas for cost reduction were identified including larger collector modules and higher duty cycles.

Plasmonic Solar Cells: From Rational Design to Mechanism Overview.

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Yoon Hee; Jang, Yu Jin; Kim, Seokhyoung; Quan, Li Na; Chung, Kyungwha; Kim, Dong Ha

2016-12-28

Plasmonic effects have been proposed as a solution to overcome the limited light absorption in thin-film photovoltaic devices, and various types of plasmonic solar cells have been developed. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art progress on the design and fabrication of plasmonic solar cells and their enhancement mechanism. The working principle is first addressed in terms of the combined effects of plasmon decay, scattering, near-field enhancement, and plasmonic energy transfer, including direct hot electron transfer and resonant energy transfer. Then, we summarize recent developments for various types of plasmonic solar cells based on silicon, dye-sensitized, organic photovoltaic, and other types of solar cells, including quantum dot and perovskite variants. We also address several issues regarding the limitations of plasmonic nanostructures, including their electrical, chemical, and physical stability, charge recombination, narrowband absorption, and high cost. Next, we propose a few potentially useful approaches that can improve the performance of plasmonic cells, such as the inclusion of graphene plasmonics, plasmon-upconversion coupling, and coupling between fluorescence resonance energy transfer and plasmon resonance energy transfer. This review is concluded with remarks on future prospects for plasmonic solar cell use.

Design and Performance of 20 Watts Portable Solar Generator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Majid, Z A Abdul; Hazali, N; Hanafiah, M A K M; Abdullah, A A; Ismail, A F; Ruslan, M H; Sopian, K; Azmi, M S Mohd

2012-01-01

A new portable solar generator has been developed to generate electricity. It has the potential to replace petrol generator, widely used by peddlers at night markets (pasar malam). Conventional generators are heavy, oily, have high maintenance and use fossil fuel to generate electricity. The solar generator can generate 20 Watts of electricity. This amount of power can supply up to 96 hours of electricity for the purpose of lighting and running small electrical appliances. The power output is (alternating current) AC current using 150 Watts inverter with 200 Watts surge, suitable for all commercial single phase electric appliances. Solar charge controller is used to maximize the charging rate and to protect the battery. The system has low maintenance whereby the batteries need to be changed every three to four years, depending on the usage. The main concepts of portable solar generator are to reduce installation cost and to introduce a compact design of an optimal energy sizing system. The materials used to develop the solar generator can be easily obtained from local markets, thus reducing the cost of developing the system and making it suitable for commercialization.

Broadband back grating design for thin film solar cells

KAUST Repository

Janjua, Bilal; Jabbour, Ghassan E.

2013-01-01

In this paper, design based on tapered circular grating structure was studied, to provide broadband enhancement in thin film amorphous silicon solar cells. In comparison to planar structure an absorption enhancement of ~ 7% was realized.

Design and testing of a uniformly solar energy TIR-R concentration lenses for HCPV systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, S C; Chang, S J; Yeh, C Y; Teng, P C

2013-11-04

In this paper, total internal reflection-refraction (TIR-R) concentration (U-TIR-R-C) lens module were designed for uniformity using the energy configuration method to eliminate hot spots on the surface of solar cell and increase conversion efficiency. The design of most current solar concentrators emphasizes the high-power concentration of solar energy, however neglects the conversion inefficiency resulting from hot spots generated by uneven distributions of solar energy concentrated on solar cells. The energy configuration method proposed in this study employs the concept of ray tracing to uniformly distribute solar energy to solar cells through a U-TIR-R-C lens module. The U-TIR-R-C lens module adopted in this study possessed a 76-mm diameter, a 41-mm thickness, concentration ratio of 1134 Suns, 82.6% optical efficiency, and 94.7% uniformity. The experiments demonstrated that the U-TIR-R-C lens module reduced the core temperature of the solar cell from 108 °C to 69 °C and the overall temperature difference from 45 °C to 10 °C, and effectively relative increased the conversion efficiency by approximately 3.8%. Therefore, the U-TIR-R-C lens module designed can effectively concentrate a large area of sunlight onto a small solar cell, and the concentrated solar energy can be evenly distributed in the solar cell to achieve uniform irradiance and effectively eliminate hot spots.

Two non-tracking solar collectors: Design criteria and performance analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ratismith, Wattana; Inthongkhum, Anusorn; Briggs, John

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A collector module designed to capture solar radiation efficiently is proposed. • Two different compound parabolic trough designs are examined and tested. • A novel design with a flat base trough and vertical absorber operates efficiently in direct and diffuse sunlight. - Abstract: We propose fixed (non-tracking) configurations of solar light collector modules which are designed to operate efficiently throughout the day, i.e. for varying incident angles of direct sunlight, and in conditions of diffuse solar irradiation. We present two trough designs of compound parabolic collector (CPC) type. One, a more conventional double-parabolic trough, has the absorber plate perpendicular to the vertical axis of the trough cross-section. The other, of a new flat-base shape, has the absorber plate parallel. The collectors have two novel features appropriate to non-tracking. The first is a smoothing of the power output over the day by the simple expedient of arranging three troughs tilted at different angles. The second is the original design of the flat-base trough allowing optimal interception of the caustic surfaces of this non-focussing device. By ray-tracing analysis of the different trough shapes and absorber plate orientation, we emphasise the design criteria for achievement of a high intercept factor throughout the day without tracking and demonstrate the superiority of the flat-base collector over the double-parabolic design. In test experiments we show that the high temperatures (≈180 °C) necessary for some industrial process heat applications can be achieved. Also test results of the efficiency of the proposed systems are presented which indicate that the flat-base trough with vertical absorber plate is superior to the double-parabolic trough with horizontal absorber plate

Probing the Solar Interior

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 3; Issue 3. Probing the Solar Interior Hearing the Heartbeats of the Sun. Ashok Ambastha. General ... Author Affiliations. Ashok Ambastha1. Joint In-Charge Udaipur Solar Observatory Physical Research laboratory P.O. Box No. 198 Udaipur 313 001, India ...

Solar on the brink : more and more engineers are being asked to integrate solar technologies into building designs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sinclair, I.

2010-01-01

Methods of integrating solar technologies into building designs were discussed in this article. Ontario's feed-in-tariff (FIT) program will make Ontario a centre for solar technology and is expected to generate new jobs in the alternative energy industry. While photovoltaic (PV) systems eliminate the need for building new electricity and distribution networks, PV systems are the least efficient solar technology in relation to economics, carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) offsets, and energy generation. Many buildings in Canada have significant ventilation air heating loads that are not best served by heat recovery technologies. The economic performance of solar thermal systems can only be understood in relation to the operational efficiency of a building's heating plant. Solar PV systems can provide returns on investment when considered alongside Ontario's FIT program tariffs. Without the tariffs, many payback periods are in excess of PV system product lifetimes. Maintenance contracts and budgets must be carefully considered when commissioning solar energy projects. 3 figs.

Solar Collector Design Optimization: A Hands-on Project Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Birnie, Dunbar P., III; Kaz, David M.; Berman, Elena A.

2012-01-01

A solar power collector optimization design project has been developed for use in undergraduate classrooms and/or laboratories. The design optimization depends on understanding the current-voltage characteristics of the starting photovoltaic cells as well as how the cell's electrical response changes with increased light illumination. Students…

Home, Smart Home

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Ellen Kathrine; Olesen, Gitte Gylling Hammershøj; Mullins, Michael

2013-01-01

The article places focus on how smart technologies integrated in a one family- home and particular the window offer unique challenges and opportunities for designing buildings with the best possible environments for people and nature. Toward an interdisciplinary approach, we address the interaction...... between daylight defined in technical terms and daylight defined in aesthetic, architectural terms. Through field-tests of a Danish carbon-neutral home and an analysis of five key design parameters, we explore the contradictions and potentials in smart buildings, using the smart window as example of how...... to the energy design is central. The study illuminates an approach of the design of smart houses as living organisms by connecting technology with the needs of the occupants with the power and beauty of daylight....

Technology Solutions for New and Existing Homes Case Study: Addressing Multifamily Piping Losses with Solar Hot Water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

D. Springer, M. Seitzler, and C. Backman

2016-12-01

Sun Light & Power, a San Francisco Bay Area solar design-build contractor, teamed with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building America partner the Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI) to study this heat-loss issue. The team added three-way valves to the solar water heating systems for two 40-unit multifamily buildings. In these systems, when the stored solar hot water is warmer than the recirculated hot water returning from the buildings, the valves divert the returning water to the solar storage tank instead of the water heater. This strategy allows solar-generated heat to be applied to recirculation heat loss in addition to heating water that is consumed by fixtures and appliances.

Mortality monitoring design for utility-scale solar power facilities

Science.gov (United States)

Huso, Manuela; Dietsch, Thomas; Nicolai, Chris

2016-05-27

IntroductionSolar power represents an important and rapidly expanding component of the renewable energy portfolio of the United States (Lovich and Ennen, 2011; Hernandez and others, 2014). Understanding the impacts of renewable energy development on wildlife is a priority for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in compliance with Department of Interior Order No. 3285 (U.S. Department of the Interior, 2009) to “develop best management practices for renewable energy and transmission projects on the public lands to ensure the most environmentally responsible development and delivery of renewable energy.” Recent studies examining effects of renewable energy development on mortality of migratory birds have primarily focused on wind energy (California Energy Commission and California Department of Fish and Game, 2007), and in 2012 the FWS published guidance for addressing wildlife conservation concerns at all stages of land-based wind energy development (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2012). As yet, no similar guidelines exist for solar development, and no published studies have directly addressed the methodology needed to accurately estimate mortality of birds and bats at solar facilities. In the absence of such guidelines, ad hoc methodologies applied to solar energy projects may lead to estimates of wildlife mortality rates that are insufficiently accurate and precise to meaningfully inform conversations regarding unintended consequences of this energy source and management decisions to mitigate impacts. Although significant advances in monitoring protocols for wind facilities have been made in recent years, there remains a need to provide consistent guidance and study design to quantify mortality of bats, and resident and migrating birds at solar power facilities (Walston and others, 2015).In this document, we suggest methods for mortality monitoring at solar facilities that are based on current methods used at wind power facilities but adapted for the

Design and Development of the Space Technology 5 (ST5) Solar Arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Lyons, John; Fatemi, Navid; Gamica, Robert; Sharma, Surya; Senft, Donna; Maybery, Clay

2005-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Space Technology 5 (ST5) is designed to flight-test the concept of miniaturized 'small size" satellites and innovative technologies in Earth's magnetosphere. Three satellites will map the intensity and direction of the magnetic fields within the inner magnetosphere. Due to the small area available for the solar arrays, and to meet the mission power requirements, very high-efficiency multijunction solar cells were selected to power the spacecraft built by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). This was done in partnership with the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) through the Dual-Use Science and Technology (DUS&T) program. Emcore's InGaP/lnGaAs/Ge Advanced triple-junction (ATJ) solar cells, exhibiting an average air mass zero (AMO) efficiency of 28.0% (one-sun, 28 C), were used to populate the arrays. Each spacecraft employs 8 identical solar panels (total area of about 0.3 square meters), with 15 large-area solar cells per panel. The requirement for power is to support on-orbit average load of 13.5 W at 8.4 V, with plus or minus 5% off pointing. The details of the solar array design, development and qualification considerations, as well as ground electrical performance & shadowing analysis results are presented.

Leaf Roof – designing luminescent solar concentrating PV roof tiles