Built on the northwest corner of Oakland University’s campus, Human Health Building (HBB) emerged from need for more space in university’s School of Nursing and School of Health Sciences. Aside providing the two schools with greater collaborative setting among students, facility and community partners, HBB became the first LEED Platinum certified building on a university… »
A team of researchers at the Imperial College London and their international collaborators in Belgium, China and Japan have demonstrated that the efficiency of all solar panel designs could be improved by up to 22 percent by covering their surface with aluminum studs that bend and trap light inside the absorbing layer. Solar panels covered… »
Student team at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) presented the world’s first solar-powered family car. This is the first ‘energy-positive car’ with room for four people, a trunk, intuitive steering, and a range of 600 kilometers (372 miles). Named ‘Stella’ after the Latin word for “star”, the car is user friendly and comfortable, and… »
When you hear someone talking about solar panels, you imagine the black or bluish-gray colored panels. However, various groups of researchers are contributing to changes which help designers and architects in their goal for aesthetics. With the help of thin-film technologies, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute managed to contribute to this cause by turning solar… »
Located in neighborhood with single-family bungalows lined up side by side as if in an a small town, the Ying Yang House stands out as one of the few modern dwellings in Venice, California. This home and office was designed with both passive and active solutions to achieve nearly net-zero energy status, and it provides both… »
Aside the technology being used to generate the energy from the sun, the efficiency of solar panels also depends on the cleanliness of the panels. Moisture and dust debris piled up on their surface require time consuming and costly maintenance, however, a group of researchers from the University of Pennsylvania used bio-inspiration to develop a… »
Located at 1521 Neptune Ave, Encinitas, California, the Walton Residence recently received LEED Platinum certification from the US Green Building Council. The exquisite and luxurious, yet clean-lined home which is sited on a previously developed lot across the street from the beach in beautiful Leucadia, received a total of 108 out of a possible 136 LEED… »
Honeywell announced that they have developed PowerShield 3W – third-generation laminate film designed to protect photovoltaic panels from harsh environments. It is a cost-effective backsheet for photovoltaic panels that protects the electrical circuits in solar panel modules, preventing moisture from entering the module and keeping electrical charges within the module, thus ensuring maximum power output… »
