SUSTAINABLE
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
The Capacity-Building in Emerging Applied Building and
Construction Technologies Program has a special focus
on sustainability tools, technologies, techniques,
strategies and practices for the built environment
Our focus on sustainable energy, within
the context of tech-driven community economic
development, is on both (a) alternative energy sources
for buildings and vehicles that are
environmentally-friendly and (b) energy efficiencies in
the materials, systems, appliances, products, tools,
techniques associated with design and construction.
Photovoltaic cells consist of a semi-conducting material, most
commonly silicon. When the cell is exposed to light, electrical charges
are generated and then conducted away by metal contacts forming a direct
current (d.c.). Photovoltaic cells
comprise the heart of the system transforming the sun’s rays into
useable electricity.
Solar
modules are made up of many individual elements or photovoltaic cells.
By connecting these modules in various configurations they form arrays.
Solar arrays and their associated auxiliary systems can be designed to
provide either all or a portion of the daily energy needs required.
Such auxiliary systems often include batteries to store the energy
generated by the array, and power inverters to convert the stored DC
energy (i.e. in external batteries) to AC energy for appliances and home
electronics. These systems are combined with various safety and control
systems to provide adequate failsafe operation in the event of power
surges or a loss in power. In general, solar modules operate more
efficiently in warmer climates then in cooler ones. This is not because
of the warmer temperatures, but because the days are longer, the higher
angle of the sun, and less cloud cover.
The
reliability associated with solar modules is excellent under a variety
of harsh weather and environmental conditions. Many solar modules carry
a warranty ensuring a minimum output rating over the products life
span. First Solar, LLC in Northwest Ohio is a leading supplier of thin
film solar modules. They have developed in collaboration with the
University of Toledo principle researcher Al Compaan, a new process for
mass producing high efficient solar modules that are more durable and
reliable then modules using conventional wafer solar module technology.
Fig. 1) The basic power-generating element is a photovoltaic cell. A
photovoltaic cell consists of semi-conducting material, most commonly
silicon. When the cell is exposed to light, electrical charges are
generated and then conducted away by metal contacts forming a direct
current (d.c.). The electrical output from a single cell is small
(around 0.6 V d.c.), therefore multiple cells are connected together to
provide a more useful output.
Figure.
1
