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    Home › CoolTechStuff

    Tag: CoolTechStuff

    The Last Word: CoolTechStuff

    I’ve been doing CoolTech articles for over seven years now.  As some of you know, I’m in the process of building a house in Sonoma…

    AIA East Bay June 6, 2018

    WRLD: CoolTechStuff

    With summer approaching I spent some time the other day looking for architecture related travel apps.  You may recall I did an article on an…

    AIA East Bay May 2, 2018

    Shapespark: CoolTechStuff

    Here is an interesting desktop application and service that allows you to create and share real-time 3D visualizations of your architectural model that will run…

    AIA East Bay April 3, 2018

    Blackbelt 3D Printer: CoolTechStuff

    So you’ve looked at 3D printers and thought they were interesting but only good for printing small things.  Well, here is a company (Blackbelt 3D)…

    AIA East Bay March 6, 2018

    HazMat Reference and Emergency Response Guides: CoolTechStuff

    As you may guess from the topic of this article, I just finished the chapter’s post-Disaster SAP Training course.  Living and working in an industrial…

    AIA East Bay February 14, 2018
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    Solar Squared: CoolTechStuff

    As the renewable energy industry is maturing we are beginning to have many more choices at our disposal, and photovoltaics is leading the charge (no…

    AIA East Bay January 9, 2018
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    © 2023 - AIA – East Bay Chapter

    Forum Description

    [caption id="attachment_15837" align="alignleft" width="102"] Larry Mortimer, AIA[/caption] As the renewable energy industry is maturing we are beginning to have many more choices at our disposal, and photovoltaics is leading the charge (no pun intended).   We’ve had many photovoltaic options for some time now, but few that integrate into the building envelope itself.  The typical flat solar panels (even the ones with color) usually look like an afterthought.  For integrated options we are pretty much limited to photovoltaic shingles, and photovoltaic window glass.  Here’s an interesting addition to the mix based on research being carried out at the University of Exeter called Solar Squared.   What Does It Do:  Solar Squared is a glass block that generates electricity using focused solar energy. What does it cost: Cost is unknown at this point.  The developer, a company called Build Solar, is currently testing the product. They anticipate a finished product to be available sometime next year. How Does it Work:  The blocks are transparent and contain thirteen optical elements that each focus incoming sunlight onto an individual solar cell.  Within each block the cells are all linked together, and can be wired to one another.  The developer claims that the solar blocks provide better thermal insulation than conventional glass blocks while still letting much of the natural light pass into the building.  The company plans to offer coatings to control thermal gain and for different colors. One question I have is what happens if one photovoltaic cell ceases to work?  I can’t imagine opening up a block wall to replace it. Conclusion:   Solar Squared may become an attractive integrated solution to provide clean energy, however with efficiency and costs still to be determined, that remains to be seen. More Info:  www.buildsolar.co.uk