Tangible Renewable Energy Entity (T.R.E.E) Kevin Li

Transcription

1 Tangible Renewable Energy Entity (T.R.E.E) Kevin Li ABSTRACT Protecting our environment is a global issue that has swept the world by storm. A key player in this initiative is the introduction of alternative, renewable energy sources to replace existing fossil fuels, which emit harmful amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. In order to spread awareness about the capabilities of renewable energy, I propose the Tangible Renewable Energy Entity (T.R.E.E) as a project that will provide both an aesthetic and educational experience for the user. Mirroring how a plant captures vital energy from the sun to produce sugar, the T.R.E.E will be an entirely mechanical system of solar panel leaves, and LED buds that will flower to portray the generation of energy from the sun. INTRODUCTION Is there a way to visualize renewable energy and make it tangible to the world? As one of the largest movements in the world today, renewable energy technologies are improving at an exponential rate. However, there is a significant gap between the industry and the consumers. For my project, I wanted to explore the idea of making an interactive medium for someone to be able to see renewable energy in action, whether through sound, sight, or feel. The culmination of these motives is the Tangible Renewable Energy Entity (T.R.E.E). The T.R.E.E is an attempt at visualizing the amount of solar energy generated over the span of a day using LED s and a dynamic mechanical system that responds to the changing sunlight. Solar energy was chosen out of other renewable energy sources such as wind and biofuel due to the availability of smaller solar panels for recreational use that can be programmed using microcontrollers such as Arduino. PROJECT DESCRIPTION T.R.E.E is a mechanical system of mini solar panels and LEDs that will model how a plant responds to sunlight. As a plant collects sunlight through the chlorophyll in its leaves, the T.R.E.E will have solar panels that are shaped like leaves that will collect solar energy and provide power to the rest of the system. In order to model the growth of the system, the T.R.E.E will have buds that will flower and light up depending on the amount of energy that is currently being generated. The implication of such a system is that out of 100 hypothetical buds, 50 will open and flower if the sunlight is at 50% intensity relative to a specified maximum intensity. The easiest way to build this project is to use Arduino to control the solar panels and the rest of the system. The buds could be made using sheets of soft metal such as brass, copper, or aluminum. In plants, the xylem and phloem are responsible for transporting water and nutrients throughout the plant (Lambers, 2008). This can be modeled in the T.R.E.E using a string of mini LED s that can light up to show the flow of the energy up the stem from the leaves to the buds. A feasible size for the project would be similar to that of a lamp that can be placed on a tabletop or desk. The flow of energy would be depicted using warm white LEDs while the LEDs lighting up the buds would be customizable to the user s preference in order to provide atmospheric light as an additional feature. 1

2 HISTORY Renewable energy has always been a field that has piqued my interest. During the summer before my freshmen year, I attended a study abroad trip to Germany to learn about their groundbreaking energy policy, Energiewende, which was passed in Galvanized by the Fukushima nuclear meltdown in Japan, the plan was proposed to reduce reliance on nuclear energy by aiming to eliminate its use by the year 2022 (Buchan, 2012). The policy also tackled fossil fuels, which were unsustainable and aimed to reduce carbon emissions by 40% by In order to achieve such goals, the plan promoted renewable energy innovation mainly through solar and wind energies (Beveridge, 2013). In recent years, the costs of solar energy technology has steadily declined, and become more competitive in the market. As of 2016, the cost of a solar panel is around $5-6 per watt and installing a solar panel system costs around $25,000 - $35,000 (Solar Power Authority). Despite its benefits, renewable energy has yet to be implemented as the main source of energy generation throughout the world. Large countries such as the United States have fallen behind in producing the necessary policy to back such a change, while powerful countries such as China, Germany, and Japan have surpassed us in solar energy use (REN21, 2016). The main problem that renewable energy faces is social acceptance. According to Wüstenhagen, social acceptance can be broken down into three categories, social-political acceptance, community acceptance, and market acceptance. Social political acceptance refers to the acceptance from policy makers and key stakeholders, which is a facet that the United States currently struggles with. Market acceptance refers to the adoption of the innovations by both consumers and investors. Finally, community acceptance refers to the acceptance of the technology by residents and local stakeholders (Wüstenhagen, 2007). Community acceptance is the problem that inspired my project, as my goals are to spread awareness of renewable energy by making it more accessible to the average consumer. The Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI) is a sustainable energy design competition that has been hosted around the world in past years. As captured from their website, their goal is to accelerate the transition to post-carbon economies by providing models of renewable energy infrastructure that add value to public space, inspire, and educate while providing equitable power to thousands of homes around the world. Similarly to what I would like to do with my project, LAGI creates aesthetic infrastructures that not only provide renewable energy power to the local community, but also provide a space that inspires the public. One project that they are currently implementing in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the WindNest, which are pods that generate wind energy to power an accompanying carousel. Such a project makes a strong statement for the introduction of renewable energy as the state of Pennsylvania uses mainly coal for electricity generation, which is harmful to the environment. I would like to send a similar message with the T.R.E.E but on a smaller scale focused on individual households rather than communities. SIGNIFICANCE AND DISTINCTION The T.R.E.E tackles the important issue of bringing renewable energy awareness to the public. In recent years, we have been informed of statistics that warn us of the planet reaching climate states where it is impossible to revert back. Global warming leads to a plethora of problems including but not limited to sea levels rising, glacial caps melting, air pollution, extinction of species, and abnormal temperature rises. In 2015, the ocean surface temperature was reported to be 0.9 degrees Celsius warmer than average, while carbon dioxide emissions have increased by nine billion metric tons (Statista, 2016). Unfortunately, these changes have been accepted by most of the world, but have not been dealt with, with the urgency that it requires. This project tackles the need to introduce a creative approach towards bringing about social change, which is a key concept that I was taught in DCC. LAGI is a primary example of an existing initiative towards bringing awareness to the public, 2

3 however it is on a high social level, targeting communities rather than individual households. My project is thus an attempt to create a product that any household can afford. There are not any products currently in the market that offer the similar function that the T.R.E.E offers, which is to provide an aesthetic addition to the home, while also bringing awareness to the capabilities of renewable energy technology. EXPERTISE AND SKILLS I have experience using Arduino so programming the project should not require a significant amount of learning time. The creation of the system itself will not require any workshop tools so basic craft tools should suffice which can be learned quickly. I have also worked with circuits and electronics before, so powering the LED s throughout the system can be easily done. APPROACH I am approaching this project using circuitry and Arduino programming techniques to loosely model the biology of a plant. Thus, I am combining hands-on approaches with electronics with my understanding of cellular systems from previous courses in biology. Designing the system will also require use of CAD and prototyping using methods such as 3D printing or creating a nonfunctional model using paper or cardboard. WORK PLAN AND TIMELINE Week Task 1/30 Research materials such as solar panels and craft metals for structure 2/6 Design main structure and buds using CAD Purchase materials 2/13 Construct a non-functional prototype using paper/cardboard/etc. 2/27 Request feedback from peers to improve prototype 3/6 Begin construction of product 3/19-3/26 Spring Break 4/3/17 Continue building Incorporate Arduino with LEDs and solar panels 04/17/17 Finish product Prepare presentation 3

4 AUDIENCE This project is aimed towards the general public, as it s not meant to be a replacement for any existing household item. This fits my goal of wanting to bring more familiarity to renewable energy as switching to a renewable energy source for powering a home is too large of a commitment for most households. As the scale of the project is also relatively small, the cost would remain affordable and ideally comparable to a desk lamp, so that it may be accessible to everyone. BUDGET Item Price String LEDs $15 Arduino $16 Craft Sheet Metal $10 Breadboard $10 Electronics Kit $15 Miscellaneous Electronics Components $20 Total $86 OUTCOMES This project is very connected to my long-term goals as renewable energy is the field that I would like to work in in the future. Due to the scope of the project, it may easily be reproduced and distributed in the future as a product. The concept and design of the model is also appealing enough that I believe most people would love to purchase such a product. This project bridges DCC s focus on design with my career goals of wanting to invent new products in the renewable energy industry. A lot of inspiration from this project was also drawn from my current DCC course, Data, Sculpture, and Information Aesthetics. 4

5 BIBLIOGRAPHY Lambers, H., Chapin III, F. S., & Pons, T. L. (2008). Photosynthesis. In Plant physiological ecology (pp ). Springer New York. Buchan, D. (2012). The Energiewende-Germany's gamble. Oxford: Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. Beveridge, R.; Kern, K. (2013). The Energiewende in Germany: Background, Developments and Future Challenges. Renewable Energy Law and Policy Review (RELP) 2013(1), REN21, (2016). Renewables 2016 Global Status Report, Paris, REN21 Secretariat. Global warming: Land and ocean temperature anomalies 2015 Statistic. (2016). Retrieved November 21, 2016, from Wüstenhagen, R., Wolsink, M., & Bürer, M. J. (2007). Social acceptance of renewable energy innovation: An introduction to the concept. Energy policy, 35(5), Land Art Generator Initiative. (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2016, from Global CO2 emissions 2014 Statistic. (2016). Retrieved November 21, 2016, from How Much Do Solar Panels Cost to Install on a US Home? (2016). Retrieved November 21, 2016, from About WindNest. (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2016, from 5