NOW THIS IS A COOL IDEA
Clean energy is the right decision. Quit arguing. Harnessing the power of the sun is the right thing to do. Full stop. If you want to argue, go write your own article.
SOLAR CAPTURE CAN BE MORE EFFICIENT
There have certainly been advancements in solar panel technology over the years, ranging from efficiencies in crystalline-silicon manufacturing to integrating nanostructured materials. All of this requires lots of R&D money. What I am writing about is not an R&D play but rethinking solar panel placement. The basic solar panel is a flat panel that is angled on the roof or in large fields. If you know anything about solar panels, they only efficiently capture solar when the sun is in optimum position, let’s say 10am to 3pm for the sake of discussion. Outside of those hours, the panels have less solar generation. It has something to do with the earth’s rotation, but I leave it to the PHD’s to explain this. There is a really good study you can find in Smart Energy Vol. 7 (2022) 100083 that explains the difference between fixed panels and rotational panels far better than I could.
REIMAGINING SOLAR CAPTURE
This article focuses on building applications. If you are interested in the use of solar panels for sustainable energy generation in an agricultural environment, see my article about increasing agricultural yield in a responsible manner.
What if there were an idea where you took any solar panel and increased its efficiency by over 50%? What if you imagined solar panel placement beyond rooftops and large fields (FN1)? The conceptual underpinning is based on rooftops having limited space and large tracts of land not being used for solar, therefore, we are not taking advantage of the additional possible energy generation solutions.
One of the issues with solar panel deployment on roofs is not only the lack of space, but also the weight. In general, properly installed solar panels are within load bearing limits, but if your roof already has an HVAC system, adding panels to an older building could add too much load in too limited a space resulting in leaking, sagging, or even collapse. In writing this article, I heard from two separate states about this issue.
One of the promising alternatives is to optimize the utilization of vertical surfaces- think the sides of buildings. The SunFleur concept actually started when we were looking out a window and saw a parking garage and we realized the deployment of solar panels on the sides of parking structures could be used to charge EV charging stations. Using a building’s façade and distributing the weight of the panels through a novel hook and ladder design is not only innovative, but is proving energy efficient (FN2).
BUT IT GETS BETTER
The patented and proprietary design not only utilizes the vertical façade of a building in an aesthetically pleasing manner, but allows the panels to track the movement of the sun thereby increasing solar generation efficiency. In concept, it’s rather simple. Allow the solar panels to move to capture more solar over more hours in a day.
In addition, sensors that can identify environmental factors and respond accordingly are integrated in the design. SunFleur is partnering with nureal.ai to monitor and optimize the generation of solar power by using its IoT / AI enabled control system to ensure that louvered panels are always perpendicular to the sun as it crosses the sky (FN3).
This holds true for all four seasons in which the sun’s angle on the horizon changes from summer to winter due to the earth’s pitch and rotation around the sun. The system is being designed so the panels would automatically close in strong winds or other major climatic conditions. Additionally, a robust sensor deployment can capture temperature, humidity and assist in a building’s energy load distribution.
CONCLUSION
Sometimes it takes a little out of the box thinking to make the world better.
About SunFleur
World’s first IoT enabled solar panel and smart glass technology company. Learn more at www.sunfleursolar.com.
About the author
Gary Sumihiro is the founder of Sumihiro Investments, LLC a global strategic consulting firm whose clients range from 5G to clean energy. Learn more at www.sumihiroinvestmentsllc.com.
FN1: There is already Korean data and a German study backing this claim and a new university study coming out in September. Sign an NDA and start talking to me!
FN2: SunFleur is a new startup and is in discussions to fund a proof of concept. If you are interested, contact me.
FN3: nureal.ai is leading the democratization of artificial intelligence by offering a marketplace of affordable AI programs.