Green Tech Magazine December 2017 en

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12 Crystalline solar power cell dyed using PLASMONICS. Novel colour coating benefits solar power In Austria, installation areas for solar power systems can be found where exposed areas are primarily used for agricultural purposes, predominantly on buildings. JOANNEUM RESEARCH has developed visually appealing new solutions. Anyone who builds new buildings today often does so using renewable energy – and this is where the cost-effective solar power technology based on crystalline silicon solar cells, which is characterised by its shiny blue-black surface, truly shines. Within the framework of the interdisciplinary PV@Fassade project in whose context JOANNEUM RESEARCH played a major role, nine Austrian partners from the industry and research community led by the Austrian Research Institute for Chemistry and Technology worked on the development of solutions for building-integrated solar power. Optical coordination Not just roof surfaces, but also façades, balconies and canopies could be used increasingly to install solar power systems in the future. The challenge was to visually match the solar power cells to the building and to reduce such attempts’ adverse effects on the performance of the modules to a minimum. This is particularly important in urban areas, for example in old towns in terms of gaining the acceptance of population, developers and planners. Among other things, JOANNEUM RESEARCH developed coatings that enhance the modules regarding their appearance and functionality. Different colour variations can be created by printing or coating the covering glass surfaces or the solar cells in the module. Numerous coating processes of crystalline silicon solar cells were tested and different colour samples were produced. “A coating technology based on the use of plasmonic effects is particularly interesting and innovative,” says Gerhard Peharz, Project Manager at MATERIALS, JOANNEUM RESEARCH’s Institute of Surface Technologies and Photonics. Plasmonic dyes The term plasmonic describes the interaction of light on metallic nano-particles. The influence of these on the properties and performance of the solar power elements was determined both in the laboratory and by means of long-term measurements on a test façade. The results obtained are very promising and it has been shown that plasmonic dyes are extremely reliable and yield low power losses. Gerhard Peharz Tel.: 0316/876-32 05 gerhard.peharz@joanneum.at www.joanneum.at Information & contact MATERIALS – Institute for Surface Technologies and Photonics at JOANNEUM RESEARCH offers interdisciplinary solutions for the entire value chain. These include large-scale micro and nano structures, bio- and chemosensors, light technologies, functional surfaces and laser processes. Credits: Dr. Michael Grobbauer, SFL technologies GmbH, beigestellt
GREEN TECH MAGAZINE 13 Green Lifestyle Stylish water saver With her fitting called ‘Eve’ industrial designer Rebecca Daum from Graz combines modern design with sustainability. An integrated consumption indicator raises awareness of daily water consumption and thus encourages the sustainable use of water as a raw material. In addition, an app can be used to set the water volume, retrieve statistics and compare the results with friends. www.rebeccadaum.com NASA technology on your wrist The Matrix PowerWatch draws the energy for the battery from the wearer’s body heat. The watch uses thermoelectric technology to convert heat into electricity. This technology has already been used by NASA to propel its Voyager space craft and the mars rover Curiosity. Did you know? At rest, the human body emits 100 watts of energy. When exercising, this figure increases to one kilowatt. www.powerwatch.com Credits: powerwatch.com, petitpli.com, Rebecca Daum, www.vpz.at Clothing that grows with you Children go through seven sizes of clothing in their first two years of life. Clothing that grows with the child would definitely come in handy. No problem, for such clothing is no longer science fiction. London-based inventor Ryan Yasin has designed children’s clothing for his Petit Pli (‘little wrinkle’) label which, using a special fabric folding solution, can be extended to four times its original area, thus fitting children from their fourth to their 36th month. The accordion-like structure is additionally heated in advance in order to withstand stress such as washing cycles and spin cycles. www.petitpli.com Green all the way: Packaging and labels In shopping, more and more emphasis is placed on quality and origin. It goes without saying that attention is also attached to sustainable packaging. In 3 years of development, the VPZ Packaging Center in Graz, together with IM Polymer, Lenzing Plastics and the Marchfeldgemüse producer organisation, developed a new bio-compound material made of cellulose paper and bio-film for packaging labels. All raw materials used for this purpose are of biogenic or mineral origin and compostable and have been awarded the Green Packaging Star Award 2017. www.vpz.at
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Green Tech Magazine December 2017 en

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