In this study, I am exploring the potential for solar panels/photovoltaic arrays and their application on a human scale, a building scale, and even the scale of the earth. Sustainability is a key subject now that we as architects must be concerned with.
Photovoltaic arrays can be arranged in a number of ways to integrate itself into a buildings design. Solar photovoltaic panels contain arrays of solar cells that convert light into electricity. Solar cells, or PV cells, rely on the photovoltaic effect, which describes how certain materials can convert sunlight into electricity to absorb the energy of the sun and cause current to flow between two oppositely charged layers. Individual solar cells provide a relatively small amount of power, but electrical output is significant when connected together as an array making up a panel.
These solar panels have the potential to be used as something more than just add-ons to a building, they can become the skin of the building. The image below shows the spread of solar radiation over the surface of the country. Parts like Arizona seem to have the most impact of the suns energy on its surface, so strategically placing the panels in an area such as this would maximize energy conservation and reduce the consumption of other forms of energy. One proposal of this was to create mega fields of solar panels located in desolate regions whose sole purpose would be to gather energy, then at night the energy would conceptually be transferred to nearby cities such as Los Angeles. As astonishing as it sounds, in 40 minutes of daylight the sun releases upon the earth the amount of energy that is consumed by the entire population of the planet in one year. Each day more solar energy falls to the Earth than the total amount of energy the planet's 6 billion inhabitants would consume in 27 years. Currently, we harness about 1% of this energy.
Todays solar cells are typically made of silicon, with an efficiency of around 4 to 5 percent. Studies are now being conducted to produce new solar cells using other materials such as plastic
, which could provide an efficiency of up to 15 percent in the future.
On a larger scale, one of the most interesting concepts is to introduce solar panels into outer space to collect the suns energy. Several engineers have proposed placing large solar panel farms, the size of Texas, onto the surface of the moon to gather as much "free" solar energy as possible. The energy would be beamed back to the earth vvia microwaves. Complex megastructures such as the Matrioshka brain are being considered for interstellar placement. This mega device would be placed closer to the sun, near Venus or Mars,to gather more energy.
This image shows a comparison of a farm of photovoltaic arrays the size of Texas on the moon.
original illustration
1 comment:
very nice look at photovoltaic potential. could you find a similar map as the one of the U.S. that is of the entire planet? great speculation of the texas sized array on the moon, is that yours? how would the electricity be transferred back to earth?
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