Architect as …
[Image via Design Public.]
I know this was created as a diaper bag for the fashionable working mom, but i have to say, as a design professional who is always looking for a bag that is both creative and acceptable in the workplace, I love it. In fact I love their whole line. Many of them would not be suitable for unisex use, but this and the Boxy Backpack – Black Orchid Roll could both find comfortable homes in my collection of messenger / laptop bags.
[Image via Suntech]
So I was going through last month’s Architecture Record and as an unlicensed architect working in building production (not design) I tend to spend more time and effort looking at the products advertised instead of the featured buildings. One of the products that jumped out at me is Suntech’s See Thru photovoltaic vision glazing. This product utilizes insulated glazing technology to apply a thin photovoltaic film on the interior surface of a glazing panel and can turn “clear” glass into a solar array. Some examples of this in action can bee seen here.
If this product was used in addition to the thin film roof membrane I previously mentioned here, I think that many more structures – residential and commercial – could easily be turned into parts of a large scale distributed power generator. In addition, achieving the LEED point for on site energy creation would be much easier to achieve without having to design a building with all flat roofs and solar arrays. The new Green Architecture Symbol may very well be glass. Think of it, the International Style might actually be suitable as an international style; the Farnesworth House could be an icon of self sustainability instead of a symbol of architectural ego triumphing over nature and place.
[Image via DRI Energy]
So I have been studying for my LEED AP exam lately, so my interest was peaked when I came across this article online. Apparently, DRI Energy has come out with a product called Lumeta PowerPly which adheres directly to the roofing membrane instead of being mounted on an expensive and heavy roof structure, which is one of the prohibitive cost factors in the implementation Photovoltaic Panels. I imagine that this application will have less of a yield because it is fixed to the angle of the roof than rack mounted systems, which can be tuned to face an optimal angle or even rotate and tilt to follow the sun.What is lost in yield I imagine can be made up on roofs that would normally not be able to handle PV panels (such as curved roofs and steep pitches). In addition, I would worry that since this bonds to the roofing membrane, if there is a membrane failure the PV panels will need to be replaced as well, instead of being able to be removed and remounted in a traditional system.
I knew that this technology was out there, but I was unaware that it was already being marketed. I think that this kind of application process could definitely help bring PV panels and solar energy use to projects that would normally not even consider it.
(And in case anyone is wonder, no they aren’t in rainbow colors and are not actually made by Lisa Frank)