By: Carol Obando-Derstine and the rest of the PCM Team

Our sustainability-focused iteratively designed project uses phase-changing materials (PCM) for energy storage paired with photovoltaic panels. The answers below are specific to our project.

For each of the four steps of the Natural Step Framework (awareness & vision, baseline analysis, creative solutions, decide on priorities), describe precisely how you will approach the step for your project. https://thenaturalstep.org/approach/

Having clear awareness, vision, and a concise problem statement will help our team stay focused throughout the project’s lifespan.   It will serve as a constant reminder of the basic tenet of the project, which is to have Lehigh University save energy and money. Their panels would be more efficient, thereby yielding higher solar power. Increased solar power would accelerate Lehigh’s goal to transition to 100% renewable power by 2024. Our team will use existing data collected from students by the Office of Institutional Research and Strategic Analytics (OIRSA) and the Office of Sustainability, especially on student views on renewable energy,  to gauge student interest in the topic. Moreover, there will be ample opportunities to collaborate with clubs on campus, such as the Lehigh REC, to raise awareness of the benefits and plans for PCM plus photovoltaic panels.

Our group will also conduct a baseline analysis/ assessment that will serve as a “gap analysis” designed to identify the improvement opportunities for current solar panel designs. We will work to set clear outcomes and a schedule for the three student groups within the team to measure progress. The teams will also analyze data obtained from the experiments and come together to draw conclusions and find areas of improvement.

We will focus on finding creative solutions or novel ways of adhering PCM to the panels. We will analyze the outcome of the experiments and determine whether Calcium Chloride Hexachloride can be used as a PCM for photovoltaic panels. If successful, we will design a space on the photovoltaic panels at the Goodman campus to install the PCM for further analysis. Our group will track the data gathered from the panels to determine if the PCM can be used for different applications, such as in buildings to reduce HVAC costs. Ultimately we will research other materials that have been used as PCM for photovoltaic panels and analyze what properties were necessary to increase their efficiency.

Before conducting experiments, we will create a set outline for the three experiments. We will track the progress of the investigations and analyze the results to determine what improvements to make. Lastly, we will debrief in the weekly meeting to keep the team looped in and for the larger group to provide alternative methods of approaching matters, including any concerns. Lastly, we will decide on the priorities and devise a plan to put our ideas into action.

Identify the three most important metrics of success for each of the three pillars of sustainability (environmental stewardship, social equity, and economic prosperity) for your project.

 The environmental stewardship pillar focuses on using natural resources wisely, ecological management, and pollution prevention. The three most critical environmental factors will be to:

1. Measure the increased efficiency of photovoltaic panels by coupling them with PCMs.
2. Quantify the amount of energy from non-renewable sources that will no longer be needed after engineering more efficient solar technology through the use of PCMs. Using the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies, our group will calculate the amount of avoided greenhouse gases.
3. Determine how willing key decision-makers at Lehigh will be to adopt solar plus PCMs once they see higher efficiency rates.

Social equity typically pertains to improvements in the standard of living, education, community, and equal opportunity to resources. The three salient metrics will be to:

1. Measure how installing these more efficient solar panels will influence Lehigh students’ views and behaviors. For example, will it reduce eco-anxiety? Will they become more interested in climate change and energy matters?
2. Calculate the impact of this renewable energy project on the community. Determine our willingness to share insights with others that could spur the re-engineering of solar panels in other parts of the community, perhaps outside of campus.
3. Evaluate this project’s ability to improve the students’ standard of living through the university’s energy cost savings. It might be worthwhile to offer suggestions on how the university could use those savings. For example, they could invest in students’ energy awareness and sustainability education.

Economic prosperity is often described in terms of profits and cost savings, economic growth, and even research and development. For our project, the most critical considerations in this area are to:

1. Assess the cost savings for the university if they use more efficient solar energy that they generate through their solar panels versus having to shop for a supplier of electricity, which might not be sourced from renewable energy.
2. Determine additional research and development opportunities for PCM to adhere to mechanical systems prone to overheating that increase building cooling needs.
3. Research whether there is an economic growth opportunity with this project.

Review various strategies for moving towards a Circular Economy at:  https://www.ceguide.org/Strategies-and-examples. As a team, review these different strategies (except the ones under “Finance”) and identify five strategies that are relevant to your project. For each strategy, briefly explain how you might apply that strategy.

The following strategies are the ones our group found most relevant.

1. Design— our plan to construct our project should be based on the following considerations:
   1. An integrated design process could serve as a framework to approach our project collaboratively.
   2. Systems thinking could assist us with viewing the interdependent characteristics of what we are doing and help identify root causes of reoccurring problems in our design. Moreover, it could help flag unintended consequences.
   3. Regenerative design is a way to revitalize the sources of energy we are using.

2. Buy—pertains to the resources used for the project, which include:
   1. Solar power as a renewable resource.
   2. Using safer materials as the PCM versus other more toxic materials.
3. Make—the actual construction of solar plus PCM can incorporate:
   1. Resource efficiency ensures that only the necessary materials were used to construct our design, so we remain good stewards of the environment.
   2. Additive manufacturing or 3D printing could be considered to make the compartment housing the PCM to the existing solar arrays.
4. Sell—how the public could have access to our product includes these considerations:
   1. Leasing is a current business model for solar panels. It can certainly be the case for our re-engineered version.
5. Disposal—to make our product truly part of a circular economy, we must consider end-of-life matters such as:
   1. A take-back program could ensure the panels with spent PCM could be collected and repurposed, reducing waste.
   2. Deconstruction and disassembly ensure that parts and components used in the design can be extracted for the value they retain.