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

[Free Songs Downloading]

http://www.bestmusicsongs.info
The 21st century will see children be born that are capable to build such complex thoughts that these will be the reflection of new ways to explain and understand a world that will be becoming more difficult for us to define

[Best 3d Movie]

http://www.best3dfilm.info
There are many differences between film and digital photography. To most amateur photographers they do not matter much.

[music businesses]

http://www.bestmusicvideo.info
For music video fanatics and music enthusiasts now you can enjoy online music videos by subscribing to a selected online music video website.

[Best birtday parti]

http://www.bestbirthday.info
Birth is a inward experience, such as meditation or prayer. Don’t have anyone present while you are birth-ing that you don’t feel totally com fortabl eignoring or who is going to distract you

[Brian Vancleve]

It's nice to know that there are now roof and walls that adjust accordingly to the weather. Our homes and our offices must be protected all throughout the season. In our company, it is protected by a roof anchor to ensure safety within the building. Roof anchor points are installed in every anchor for them stand still for longer period.

[Latest Gadgets]

I learn something new on different blogs everyday. It is always refreshing to read posts of other bloggers and learn something from them. Thanks for sharing.

[solar heating]

Nice posting!It is really wonderful to know all these things about the sun. It is true that sun is a gravitational fusion furnace.

[ali.born7]

Hi. I needed to drop you a quick word to specific my thanks. I have been following your blog for a month or so and have picked up some good data as well as enjoyed the way you’ve got structured your site. I am trying to run my own weblog but I think its too normal and I want to focus more on smaller topics. Being all issues to all folks just isn’t all that its cracked as much as be.

[Air Filters]

Fantastic idea. Where do I buy?

[Simon Calt]

Very well said! Because we are now having problems on how to get energy, scientists have been developing cool ideas on how to get energy from the sun. There are also services that will help us contribute to the environment. Like here in Boston, MA, we've once had an AC repair, and it's great because they made our AC more efficient and more earth-friendly. Here in Boston, AC repair is also one of the services that the residents love.

[To Be Gadget]

Thankfully for this unique article, I will definitely add this website to my own rss feeds, a buddy basically told me concerning this a while back. this is the greatest

[Auto1 Beograd]

Great post. I really appereciate your work done in developing this blog.

[Refinancing Around the World]

I conceive you have observed some very interesting points , appreciate it for the post.

[Indian Plaza Gift Shop]

Hey…thanks for that. Fantastic content. I’ll be coming back soon for more news. Cheers!

[Pregnancy Support]

Great post. I really appereciate your work done in developing this blog.

[SEM India]

I often read your blog admin try to discover it very interesting. Thought it was about time i show you , Sustain the really great work

[Wise Health Edu]

Hi there just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The text in your content seem to be running off the screen in Opera. I’m not sure if this is a format issue or something to do with browser compatibility but I figured I’d post to let you know. The design look great though! Hope you get the problem solved soon

[Shirt Player]

I just stumbled across your site. Pretty interesting topic, it really makes me think. I am going to have to check out some of your other articles.

[Herbal Colon Cleanser.info]

Well, I should admit that after reading your awesom article, I got a lot of idea for my own site about Thanks for that, it’s really inspiring me, and probably also for another people who also visit your site. Once again, thanks a lot.

[Watson Rounds Law]

Resources like the one you mentioned here will be very useful to me! I will post a link to this page on my blog. I am sure my visitors will find that very useful.

[Finance Group]

A little bit of internet browsing and discovered your blog looks somewhat screwed up in my K-meleon browser. However , fortunately scarcely anyone makes use of it any more but you may want to take a look into it.

[Cmc web studio]

Nice article! It was a pleasure to read it

[Golfs 888]

Keep the faith, my Internet friend. You are a first-class writer and deserve to be heard.

[Travel Kerala]

As a web designer, I found your site to be educational. I also love the clean layout of your website. Keep up the good work

[SEM India]

I received a link about your post from a friend. She is right about you. Your website is fairly valuable.

[Designing Mobility]

My cousin recommended this blog and she was totally right keep up the fantastic work!

[Pregnancy Support]

I am so impressed I had to save it so I continuously go back and read things I may have skimmed

[Nano Diamond]

important information. It's really useful. Thanks

[Datas Creamer]

A little bit of internet browsing and discovered your blog looks somewhat screwed up in my K-meleon browser. However , fortunately scarcely anyone makes use of it any more but you may want to take a look into it.

[Inlandempire Leblog]

I like you post , Keep updating..

[plumbing]

Great post, solar panels are great! They can be used interchangeably for heating or cooling of home. Everyone should have them, they are economical and good for the environment.

[Logo Style]

Awesome Post ! Keep writing good information.

[Solutions two you]

Hi. I needed to drop you a quick word to specific my thanks. I have been following your blog for a month or so and have picked up some good data as well as enjoyed the way you’ve got structured your site

[London Tours]

You designed some excellent points there. I did a research within the theme and determined most persons will agree with your webpage.

[Plumbing]

I love to read blogs like this. This very informative it helps me gain knowledge. I hope I could read more of your post.

[Your Health]

Awesome Post ! Keep Posting...

[JC law]

I simply could not leave your web site prior to suggesting that I actually enjoyed the usual information a person provide on your visitors? Is gonna be back incessantly in order to inspect new posts

[Redlands Marketing UK]

Hi, first I want to say awesome blog. I don’t always agree with your blogposts but it’s always a great read.

[Enjoy Your Travel]

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

[The finance Cow]

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

[Car Hire Santorini]

A little bit of internet browsing and discovered your blog looks somewhat screwed up in my K-meleon browser. However , fortunately scarcely anyone makes use of it any more but you may want to take a look into it.

[Ska Shop]

My cousin recommended this blog and she was totally right keep up the fantastic work!

[Dvs Consulting]

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

[Dvs Consulting]

The very heart of your writing whilst sounding reasonable initially, did not sit properly with me personally after some time. Somewhere throughout the sentences you actually were able to make me a believer unfortunately just for a while.

[Quality Hotels Birmingham]

Thankfully for this unique article, I will definitely add this website to my own rss feeds, a buddy basically told me concerning this a while back. this is the greatest

[Eroc Love]

Appreciate your efforts to provide such a great read and info. Just bookmarked this post in delicious for future comeback.

[Ranking SEO Services]

Guaranteed and affordable SEO services are the hallmark of SEO Phalanx that made its presence felt on the world stage. Its top ranking SEO services bring your targeted keywords to the first result page of all major search engines on a long-term basis.

[Men's Fashion]

This is very interesting, You are a very skilled blogger. I have joined your feed and look forward to seeking more of your great post.

[penny stocks]

I'm sorry, the best penny stocks to buy now just don't exist in the way you think they do! That does not mean that it's a worthless endeavor to buy penny stocks, it just means that those stocks deserve contemplation. first ask yourself "would I buy this right now before all other stocks?" "Is this best penny stock to buy among all best stocks to buy?" "Am I trading these stocks worth pennies with a trading system?" "Do I have correct money management?" There are several other factors to consider. In general you should be very careful when buying penny stocks and understand that there are other factors that determine whether or not a stock is cheap. Just because it is worth cents on the dollar, does not necessarily mean it is the best penny stock to buy now and that it is the most undervalued stock out of all of them on the market.

[Dyson Vacuum Reviews]

This is a very cool idea! The planet and we all depend on those new green technologies to make our life better. We do need more of those new efficient, energy-saving technologies to replace other sources of energy that may be less expensive but way too dangerous for our lives. Japan, is unfortunately, a great example of what atomic stations can do to us.