Tri-Sol Solar Energy
Undergraduate and Graduate Project
Investigators:聽 Ravi Gorthala
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Undergraduate students:聽 Tristan Cowan and Kevin Jalbert, Jr.
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Graduate students:聽 Shu Kai Chang, Niranjan Samuel聽Adaikalam
Sponsors:聽 U.S. Department of Energy and聽CT Clean Energy Fund
笔谤辞箩别肠迟听 Description:聽 The goal of this project was to research and develop a novel, cost-effective, building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) technology specifically for the next-generation skylight technology that generates electricity, produces hot water and delivers daylight by utilizing teams of undergraduate and graduate students.聽 The proposed technology utilizes a linear Fresnel concentrating PV/thermal system and is integrated into a skylight. 聽聽Concentrating lenses focus solar radiation on a small PV strip reducing the amount of PV materials needed and yet allow diffuse light into the building.聽 A prototype has been successfully built and is currently being tested.
Under this grant, Tagliatela College of Engineering researchers built a Solar Testing and Training Laboratory (STTL) for testing and rating of solar thermal systems.聽 STTL is being used to test the Tri-Sol prototype.
A patent is currently being filed.
Tri-Sol mock-up being tested using STTL rig.
A full-scale mock-up of Tri-Sol on display