Heating and Cooling from the Sun

Harnessing the heating - and cooling - powers of the sun from PhysOrg.com
Imagine heat radiating from the walls of your home on a cold winter night, or the glass in your home's windows emitting cool temperatures on a scorching summer afternoon. Now imagine these systems operating on an endless supply of affordable energy – the sun. Three years ago a team of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute researchers began developing an "intelligent" heating and cooling system that made these seemingly too-good-to-be-true scenarios a possibility.

Developed by Steven Van Dessel, assistant professor of architecture at Rensselaer, the patented Active Building Envelope (ABE) system uses a photovoltaic (PV) system to collect and convert sunlight into electricity. That power is then delivered to a series of thermoelectric (TE) heat-pumps that are integrated into a building envelope (the walls,windows, and roof). Depending on the direction of the electric current supplied to the TE heat-pump system, the sun's energy can actively be used to make the inside space warmer or cooler. An energy storage mechanism is also integrated to collect extra energy for use when little or no sunlight is available.

The original ABE system uses solar-panels placed on the outside walls or roof of a building. TE heat-pumps approximately one square inch in size are dispersed throughout the building's envelope. Since this system is made up of bulk materials, its implementation can be costly and impractical. Additionally, this ABE system can only be applied to new construction projects, as the TE devices need to be placed inside the building's walls, windows, and roof.

Van Dessel is leading a team of Rensselaer researchers to investigate the potential of ABE systems operating on the micrometer scale. The miniaturized system would function in a similar fashion to the original, but would use thin-film photovoltaic and thin-film thermoelectric materials instead of bulk components. The use of thin-film technologies could potentially result in extremely thin (less than 500 µm) ABE-surfaces. The very fine, transparent material would function as a thermal coating system that could be applied on to various surfaces, much like a glaze.   [...]

Comments

[Mano]

You have got a pleasant blog with helpful content. Cheers for being so informative about steam boilers.

[Mano]

Hi,

You've got a nice blog with useful posts. Thanks for being so informative about steam boilers.

[ALPR illumination]

Gardasoft Vision manufactures LED Lighting Controllers, pulse controllers & strobes for machine vision systems including constant current controls & LED intensity controls.

[gaurav]

Chicago Party Bus

Chicago Party bus rental and limo party bus rentals. Cheap Limousine bus rent for prom, wedding, bachelor party,bachelorette party, charter, airport. Chicago illinois Party bus rent services company

[DC Debt]

i know i’m a little off topic, but i just wanted to say i love the layout of your blog. i’m new to the blogegine platform, so any suggestions on getting my blog looking nice would be appreciated.

[Mano]

Hi,

You have got a pleasant blog with informative articles. Many thanks for being so informative about steam boilers.

[buy unerwear]

Being environmentally friendly, having a low carbon footprint and caring for the environment need no longer be confined to how we shop for consumables, what cars we use or how we choose to travel. You can now wave your underwear as a flag of being eco friendly and green and there has recently been an increase in the amount of men's underwear creeping on to the high street and ecommerce shops that are friendly to our environment and observe fair trade ethics.

[security grilles]

security grilles

Retractable Security Grilles at Trade Prices, Supplied and Delivered Direct by RSG Security. FREE London Delivery.

[duo horse box]

High Quality Motorised Horse Boxes for Sale! Horse in a Box manufactures trendy Duo Weekender and versatile 3.5 ton vehicle range from basic to professional built to order.

[Wedding Reviews]

Extraordinary site, I just passed this onto a colleague who was doing a little homework on that. And he in fact bought me cocktail because I found it for him..

[Cash flow management]

Cash flow management on the level of personal finances is really about paying attention to your cash needs. You then need to analyse your income and relate it to current and future expenditure.

[Affordable Office Space]

Affordable Office Space

Come to Langstone Technology Park for affordable Managed Office Space, Flexible Office Space, Office Spaces for rent & lease in Havant, Portsmouth, Hampshire & South Coast, UK.

[find email address free]

find email address free

Find emails instantly and lookup emails with our free email finder and lookup tool. we make finding emails quick and easy.

[Top Cell Phones]

Can I give your web site an overall comment? I like the content of your page, really a lot! Mainly because they’re rich and informative. However, I think this web page would undoubtedly look greater if you change to a better theme. Just my 2 cents.

[canvas pictures]

ThePicturebiz provides canvas art printing service including acrylic perspex canvas art, banksy canvas Art, floral canvas art, photos on canvas and other canvas prints at affordable price.

[Rainwater Harvesting]

There are certain things about the concept of rainwater harvesting that can sometimes be taken for granted, especially if you've been familiar with the process for a while. This was certainly the case for me while talking to a neighbour about rainwater tanks.One thing that I'd noticed over the last few years driving my car around Melbourne, Australia were the amount of houses that have Rainwater Tanks installed (and they're just the one's you can see from the street).

[clear brace]

clear brace

Caring female cosmetic dentist in Birmingham, who is a member of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. Services provided include tooth whitening, porcelain veneers, crowns, cosmetic dentistry and root canal treatment

[Aobo Club]

thanks for the wonderful post , I Appreciate you !

[David J Marchant]

Awesome ! Thanks for sharing with us..

[Banksy wall stickers]

Wall stickers for any room. Decorative wall sticker vinyls available in out online store. Order you wall decals today.

[Drilling additives]

Nice post. This post is different from what I read on most blog. And it have so many valuable things to learn.
Thank you for your sharing!

[Automatic Driving Instructor Birmingham]

Driving Lessons in Birmingham, Solihull & Shirley! Learn driving from Dr L Test School of Motoring and become safe driver for life. Pass plus courses, motorway lessons, refresher lessons and lots more lessons tailored to individual needs

[Rainwater Harvesting]

Brian Tracy

Founded in 1986
Operational in over 35 countries
Presently delivering training in over 30 Languages to thousands of
delegates all over the world

[glass display cabinet]

Crystal Glass Cabinets can provide bespoke cabinets from glass display cabinets to wooden display cabinets online covering the UK.

[hypnotherapist coventry]

At Hypnotherapy Solihull our long standing therapists are fully registered and highly qualified, the founders of the practice are also members of the NHSTA. We are highly experienced in using hypnotherapy for anxiety treatment, stress management, panic attacks, fears and phobias at Solihull. We have a wealth of experience in using hypnotherapy for weight loss, to stop smoking, for IBS treatment and addiction in Solihull. We also practice hypnotherapy in Stourbridge, Bromsgrove, Stratford upon Avon, Leamington Spa, Sutton Coldfield, Worcester and Birmingham.

[about bed bugs]

Comprehensive Info & Solutions about Bed Bugs! Bed Bugs Alert Research and Information Portal MidMos Solutions Ltd introduced a range of products to assist individuals and pest control professionals.

[Backup & Disaster Recovery wales]

IT Support Wales, Certus IT is Wales Largest, most highly recommended IT support provider. DR, Consultancy, Complementary and Outsourced IT Support are just some of the services Certus IT offer.

[Backup & Disaster Recovery wales]

IT Support Wales, Certus IT is Wales Largest, most highly recommended IT support provider. DR, Consultancy, Complementary and Outsourced IT Support are just some of the services Certus IT offer.

[alloy polishing]

AlloyGator® - the smart way to protect your alloy wheels from scuff damage. Protection includes repairs, refurbishment, cleaning and polishing.

[buy oak furniture]

Oak furniture has spent many years at the top of the charts when it comes to favourites. Its appeal is due to the lovely warm, coarse texture and its functionality. As it is a very hard wood, oak is superb for making furniture which will stand the test of time. If you have a young family and need tables and chairs which are robust, oak is definitely worth a thought. Although it is often quite expensive, you will find that the items made from oak will keep their good looks and will probably still be around to take a battering from your children's children in years to come. The price tag on some items may put people off buying, but, if you were to consider getting some oak unfinished furniture, you may be able to save yourself quite a few dollars.

[Brooklyn Hvac contractors]

The responsibility you story prefabricated is realistic writer informatory for those of aggroup who bonk a jr. noesis active the air. I succeed a teenaged bit of noesis most it, but don't conversation how to meet it. From your ship I clustered knowledge roughly it.

[Radiant Barrier]

How long will take for radiant barriers and reflective foil insulation to be the primary source for insulation materials? Currently fiberglass and foam are popular. However given the potential toxicity issues of fiberglass and the ozone depletion potential of foam insulation, is bubble insulation the better choice?

[Christmas Gifts]

I admire the beneficial facts you offer with your articles. I’ll bookmark your web site and have my kids check up here frequently. I am pretty certain they will discover plenty of new things below than anybody else!.

[1800 Gifts]

Hey how are you doing? I just wanted to stop by and say that it’s been a pleasure reading your blog. I have bookmarked your website so that I can come back & read more in the future as well. plz do keep up the quality writing

[CNA Training]

The original ABE system uses solar-panels placed on the outside walls or roof of a building are what is needed.

[chanel 2.55]

I am looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!

[AC Repair Miami]

Great post, our future is in the power of the sun

[solar heating systems]

Solar energy is a blessings to us, to fight with the problem of scare resources.

[yellowlite]

YellowLite.com A full service agency for renewable energy sources and services to install at first. Recommend planning and installing solar and wind energy, and service. Institutional change and new businesses in all areas of life and the life that is not understood.

[plumbing supplies]

The topic is very interesting but I find it very broad. I hope you could be more specific about it.

[Martin]

RCMservices is a rapidly expanding maintenance and response services company. Our primary focus is quality works backed by honest and accurate customer service.Our Central Heating Installers will install the heating system to fit your requirements ie: combination, heat only or system boilers. Every installation comes with a complete power or chemical flush to ensure you obtain maximum efficiency from your new boiler. For more informaton please visit our website:http://www.rcm-heating.co.uk/

[Vip Hairdesign]

I recommended it on stumbleupon. The only thing that it’s missing is a bit of new design.

[Dandar Lawyers]

Yo i adore your weblog, discovered it while randomly surving a couple days ago, will keep checking up please do…

[Biotech system]

Been following your blog for 3 days now and i should say i am starting to like your post. and now how do i subscribe to your blog?

[Hot Real Estate]

Hi, i’ve been browsing around your blog and it seem really really neat. I’m making a family blog and struggling to make it look great. How hard was it to create your blog? Could someone like me, an amateur do that? I really wanna to make something like this. Just wanna tell u your home page seem broken when I browse using Mozilla.

[Nowatec Technology]

You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic to be really
something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and very broad for me.
I am looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!

[Super Consultants]

I would like to start writing articles and post them like you do, but i just can’t decide which platform to use, between blogger and wordpress. Which 1 would u recommend for a newbie like me? By the way good articles you have!

[wan shop]

I recommended it on stumbleupon. The only thing that it’s missing is a bit of new design.

[Heart Attack Disease]

Awesome Post ! Keep writing new posts..

[poonam]

http://www.beachthailandhotels.info
The tallest hotel is the Baiyoke Sky Hotel at 88 stories. Novotel Svarnabhumi Airport Hotel has the largest lobby in the world.