Future Window Cleaners Will Have Fully Charged Phones

Future window cleaners will have fully charged phones soon by the look of it.

OK glass -  you'll soon be able to charge your phone from your window (Windows Update: transparent solar panels are almost here): A MIT startup has come up with a novel way of tweaking solar cells to remain transparent while still gathering usable energy from the Sun.

A transparent solar cell is difficult to build - solar cells traditionally capture energy by absorbing sunlight and converting it into electricity. A transparent cell, by definition, must allow sunlight through instead so it can reach your eye - that's why previous attempts at making see-through solar panels have only partially been transparent.

Ubiquitous Energy has been wrestling for years with that problem, but now has come up with a promising breakthrough. Instead of trying to make a transparent cell, they've built instead what they call a "transparent luminescent solar concentrator".

Here's how it works. The cell is made of plastic, and embedded in that plastic are chemicals that absorb non-visible wavelengths of light (infrared and ultraviolet). As they absorb them, they glow in another non-visible infrared wavelength, and that glow is guided to the edge of the plastic. There, thin strips of conventional photovoltaic cells absorb it and convert it to electricity.

Right now efficiency is low - only about one percent. But the researchers believe that an efficiency of ten percent is possible by the time the technology makes it to production. That's still half the effectiveness of a traditional solar cell, but if every window in a house or office block was converted then it could add up to a reasonable figure.

"It opens a lot of area to deploy solar energy in a non-intrusive way," Lunt said in an interview with Michigan State's Today blog. "It can be used on tall buildings with lots of windows or any kind of mobile device that demands high aesthetic quality like a phone or e-reader. Ultimately we want to make solar harvesting surfaces that you do not even know are there."

Near-infrared (NIR) harvesting transparent luminescent solar concentrators (TLSC) with non-tinted transparency are demonstrated by exploiting the excitonic nature of organic luminescent salts that provide perfectly tuned NIR-selective absorption and even deeper NIR emission. NIR TLSCs provide an entirely new route to more aesthetically pleasing light harvesting systems that can be widely deployed in energy scavenging windows and displays.

How To Recharge DI Resin

How to Recharge DI resin by David Sanders: Before starting, I would like to mention that some information available on the web would have you believe that a full body hazmat suit is needed to safely use the two chemicals necessary to recharge de-ionizing resin (DI). If common sense is used, you'll be safe. Most homes have had these chemicals to some extent in the cupboards below the sink. Acids like muriatic or hydrochloride are used to remove scale from showers and toilets. Lye has been used to clear drains and cut grease for years. Your grandparent may have used lye soap also. The muriatic acid is stronger than packaged bathroom cleaners. I did get small amounts on my skin and it felt like a mosquito bite. When I realized that it was not, I washed my hands and all was good. Some chlorine gas comes out of the bottle and when it is mixed, so don't sniff the bottle. I mention this because those without common sense should not attempt this project.

A little more than a year ago I was poking around on the web, I found a few companies that regenerated DI resin. I began to look for a way to do it myself. I ran across an article on reefs.org that explained what I was looking for. Although their finished result was the same as what we do, their canister had a drain. The drain allows the resin to be regenerated in the canisters. Most canisters on the market do not have this drain, so another solution was needed.

First gather up the products needed. The chemicals can be found at Lowe's and the tools at Wal-Mart. The lye is found at Lowe's in the pluming section. It is used for clearing drains and made by a company called Roebic, and is 100% sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), listed as lye on the back of the bottle. The muriatic acid is found in the paint department. The mixing bottles must hold 16 oz. of fluid. I now use an old lye bottle; it is sturdy and holds up to the heat. The two containers used to separate the resins came from Wal-Mart and hold 64 oz. each. I also needed a large colander, window sheer as a filter, a stir stick, 5 oz. measuring cup (large shot glass), two 32 oz. tumblers, and two 5 gallon buckets. When I first did this process I used a turkey baster and coffee filters. The turkey baster was used to separate the resin, and the coffee filters where used to filter the resin. I will show both processes. Obviously, you need a decent amount of used DI resin. During the recharging process, a little bit of resin will be lost, so it is best to have a few cartridges of resin saved up. Read the full process with pictures here.

Use these instructions at your own risk.   The chemicals used in this procedure are very dangerous and must be used with a great deal of caution.  It is recommended that you wear protective gloves and goggles when performing the following procedure.

• 12 ounce can of Red Devil Pure Lye (good for 2-3 recharges) ~$2
• One gallon Muriatic acid (good for about 20 recharges) ~$3
• Turkey baster
• Plastic container, 1/2 gallon or so... a deep bowl will work
• Plastic bottle - needs to be fairly tough.  Use one that holds atleast  12 fluid ounces, marked measurements are a bonus
• Measuring cup, 24 fluid ounce or larger
• Glass or plastic stirring rod
• About 5 gallons DI water (tap water will suffice) for rinsing resins
• 5 gallon bucket
• Activated filter carbon
• Rubber gloves/goggles, just in case

How to Clean DI Resin: Deionized resin, or DI resin, is an essential component in the deionization process. The resin is able to bind to and filter out mineral salts, including sodium and copper, thus cleaning water. The filtration process is used anywhere people require high-purity water, including laboratories and fish aquariums. With use, the DI resin will eventually become exhausted and dirty. However, you can recharge and clean your DI resin with chemical baths.

• Pour 11 oz. of reverse-osmosis deionized water into a 16 oz. glass bottle. Add 3 oz. of lye. Make sure to pour the water in the bottle first, before the lye, to avoid unwanted splashing of the chemical. Seal the bottle with its lid.
• Place the glass bottle holding the solution into a bucket of ice-cold water. Gently shake the glass bottle and its solution to ensure that the lye doesn't settle on the bottom. Mixing lye and water creates heat, so this step will ensure it's cool enough to work with. Leave the bottle in the ice water for 15 minutes.
• Put the dirty DI resin you wish to clean in a 64 oz. glass container. Pour the cooled lye solution into this container.
• Stir the resin and the lye solution together using a plastic or wooden stick. The lye should be evenly dispersed among the resin. Let the mixture sit for five minutes. The DI resins will separate, with the cleaned and charged resins floating to the top. The completely exhausted and dirty resin, which can no longer be used in this state, will sink to the bottom.
• Collect the cleaned and charged resin from the surface of the solution using a turkey baster.
• Put the cleaned resin into a coffee filter. Run RO/DI water over the resin to completely remove the lye solution. It is now ready for use. Store it in a secure glass container and put it aside.
• Separate the exhausted resin from the lye solution using a turkey baster. Place it in a coffee filter and thoroughly wash off any lye solution. Place the cleaned resin in a 64 oz. glass bottle.
• Mix 6 oz. of muriatic acid with 6 ounce of RO/DI water in a 16 oz. glass bottle.
• Pour the acid solution into the 64 oz. bottle holding the exhausted resin. Mix it with a stirring stick. Let the solution sit for one hour. The color of the DI resin should change to purple, meaning that it's recharged and clean.
• Collect the newly-cleaned DI resin from the bottle. Wash the resin with RO/DI water in a coffee filter to ensure you remove all of the acid solution. This resin is now clean and ready for use. Store it in a secure container until you're ready to use it.

Smarter Homes, Windows & Window Cleaning Apparel

'Smart' electrochromic and gasochromic windows latest in green innovations: For the past few years, a seminar on new and innovative green building products has been a staple at Construct Canada. This year was no exception as BuildGreen Solutions partner Rodney Wilts updated architects, engineers and contractors on the some of the “great” green products that have crossed his desk in the past 12 months. “This (presentation) is a bit of a hodge-podge of things that we look at in the green building world,” said Wilts, whose firm works with architects, developers and other organizations to implement sustainable practices in the built environment. 

BuildGreen has managed more than 40 LEED projects in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. Wilts, whose firm is part of the Windmill Developments family of companies, said windows “are getting serious” as manufacturers compete to build the most energy-efficient products. Soon to hit the market, he said, are “smart” electrochromic and gasochromic windows. “We’re seeing leaps and bounds in quality window manufacturing,” Wilts said.

Other green products include a device that monitors energy consumption over a period of time and automatically kills “vampire” power and building-integrated photovoltaic systems. On the materials side, “torrified” wood appears to be catching on “like wildfire,” Wilts said. A chemical-free process is used to heat up the wood, making it less susceptible to mould, rot and fungi. Other green materials include an environemtally friendly drywall product. Wilts, whose firm is based in Ottawa, said clients also are demonstrating increased interest in indoor air quality. One such item that is on the market is a proprietary drywall product that cleans the air, reacts with volatile organic compounds and makes them inert and is highly mould-resistant. “It is no longer enough to be less bad,” Wilts said.

Living walls also are catching on in a big way, he said, noting that a five-storey, plant-covered Biowall has been incorporated into the Algonquin Centre for Construction Excellence in Ottawa. This system helps control humidity while also cleaning the air. Water efficiency is also gaining increased attention, Wilts said. He cited introduction of a greywater reuse system that is suitable for either commercial or residential projects, a dual-flush toilet that has an integrated sink for immediate greywater reuse and a 0.8 gallon per flush, high-efficiency toilet. In his presentation, Wilts also touched on various developments on the green building front, including LEED Canada and the Living Building Challenge, which he described as “LEED on steroids.”

Clothing to harness renewable energy: Silvr Lining, a California based fashion company, has created the Go Collection of clothing with integrated solar power supplies suitable for charging personal communication devices (PCDs), such as cell phones and smart phones, and personal digital assistants (PDAs), such as MP3(4) players. This "wearable" power virtually eliminates the need to recharge at wall sockets. The power supply hardware is easily installed in GO garments in less than one minute, and un‐installed for cleaning just as quickly. The GO Integrated Solar Power System is comprised of 6‐inch by 8‐inch solar panels designed to fit pockets in the front of the garments. As these pockets contain windows to allow the sun's rays to impinge on the active side of each panel, the pockets are referred to as "frames". There are two frames in the GO Utility Vest, four in the GO Director's Jacket, two in the GO Myer's Topper, and two in the GO Cargo Pant that can accommodate panels.

 

The GO Solar Power System contains a power regulator and energy reservoir connected in between the solar panel and the device under charge (DUC). Its function is to efficiently capture the electrical power generated by the solar panel, to store that energy in the reservoir, and to provide the DUC with a highly stable voltage and current at its output compliant with the requirements of the mobile device. The system features "Power Tracking" to condition the energy making the most efficient use of the sun. The output voltage and current are automatically controlled by the regulator to the precise levels required by the DUC.

Simple indicator lights show the status of the system. GO power supplies can also be used separately as carry‐anywhere charging systems for hiking and picnicking, and can be left on the dashboard of the car or placed in the window of the office for complete internal recharging. Silvr Lining also offers the "Booster Panel", a stand‐alone panel about twice as large as the Small Panel. When connected, the Booster Panel would cut in half the charging time of either the reservoir of the Small Panel or a DUC connected to the Small Panel.

The solar panels are constructed of rugged, flexible, and non‐flammable materials able to withstand the sun's radiation, hot and cold temperatures, and wet and dry conditions. Cable assemblies, including cables, connectors, and receptacles, and electronics enclosure are also waterproof. Additional adaptors are also available. More.