Blog Post #9

Submitted by: Carol Obando-Derstine, Jade Sessions, Christine Ortega, and Andy Chung

Question 1. What are the technological, social, economic, and political trends that will impact (help or hurt) your ventures?

(Help)

• Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act of 2004, which requires utility companies in PA to purchase a certain amount of alternative energy that is not fossil fuel-based
• Net metering that compensates customers who sell power back to the grid as long as it is no more than 3 MW
• Improvements to solar panel technology
• The public’s interest in solar energy and increased adoption of solar energy has also helped drive prices down
• Solar Investment Tax Credit, a federal tax credit
• Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), a state program providing solar credits that could be sold on the SREC Market
• Robust product standards for solar panels
• “Pennsylvania’s Solar Future” Plan, which is planning to have Pennsylvania source 10% of their electricity from solar energy by 2030
• Companies creating sustainability plans to appeal to their customers
• Potentially adopting a carbon price/tax/offset

(Hurt)

• Step down of the Investment Tax Credit in 2023 
• Tariffs on solar panels
• Development of bifacial solar panels
• A more significant percentage of federal subsidies go towards fossil fuels compared to renewable energy (solar)
• Development of more thermally-efficient solar cell
• A significant energy breakthrough from another technology or technologies that would supplant solar if it was found to be mass-produced in an abundant, clean, and cost-efficient manner. It could be nuclear fusion or some other discovery.

Question 2. What is the Total Available Market and Total Addressable Market for your product or service?

Total Available Market:

• Commercial buildings
• Commercial warehouses
• Industrial buildings
• Solar farms

Total Addressable Market:

• Residential homes that have the structural integrity to withstand the PCM on their rooftop solar panels
• Commercial buildings
• Commercial warehouses
• Industrial buildings
• Small solar farms
• Large solar farms
• Government-owned solar farms
• Government-owned buildings
• Community solar

Question 3: Do an initial draft of your business model canvas – on each block of the BMC, have a visual and 1-3 bullet points. Remember, these are only drafts – you will continually refine your business models!

Customer Segments:

Segmented customers including:

• Companies that own buildings or warehouses

• Commercial solar farms

Value Proposition/Offer:

• Thermosolar helps commercial and industrial companies who own solar panels save money and energy by improving solar panel efficiency by 5%.
  • As just one example: based on a 3 MW solar farm, a 5% improvement in the efficiency of their panels from our product could mean their electric utility would pay them $25,000 more a year for supplying power to the grid.

Distribution Channels:

• Partner channel by reaching customers through solar panel distributors.

Customer Relationships:

• Personal assistance if there is major trouble with the PCM box, Otherwise, I would think self-service.

Revenue Streams:

• Asset sales through payment for boxes with PCM.

Key Resources:

• Calcium Chloride Hexahydrate
• PCM box (aluminum)

Key Activities:

• Creating usable Calcium Chloride Hexahydrate
• Providing the PCM box

Partner Network/Key Partners:

• Solar panel distributor
• Aluminum provider

Cost Structure:

• Materials
• Labor
• Risk management

Question 1: Develop a storyline for your mid-semester presentations. 

The storyline for the presentation is that the supply of renewable energy, especially solar energy, is too low to diminish the adverse effects of climate change. These negative consequences affect us all because of deleterious health, wellbeing, and economic outcomes. For those who own solar panels in areas such as the Lehigh Valley and the other regions of the country that are seeing continued rising temperatures, their solar energy output diminishes during days over 77 degrees Fahrenheit, which are becoming more numerous. The decreased efficiency of their systems results from basic principles of thermodynamics that found increased heat of electronic equipment reduces their power output.

A simple, effective, and low-cost engineering solution to increase the amount of solar energy during days over 77 degrees Fahrenheit is to adhere calcium chloride hexahydrate as a phase change material (PCM) to the back of a solar panel. The PCM will thermally manage the temperature to an ideal and consistent temperature, thereby stemming losses of the efficiency of the solar panel.

Therefore, the mid-semester presentation slides should follow the following sequence as outlined in the rubric the judges use to evaluate our presentation:

• Clarify the problem from the big picture or the macro view.
  • We can use the pie chart from the U.S. Energy Information Administration on the breakdown of energy consumed from renewable and non-renewable sources.
  • We can explain how this is tied to our Campus Sustainable Impact Fellowship goals.
• Explain the problem from a micro perspective and how it explicitly impacts the Lehigh University community.
  • We can focus on making the matter relatable and how the impact of a warming planet affects all of us, but then hone in on why it matters precisely here at Lehigh University.
    • We will elaborate on Lehigh’s sustainability goals and how we help advance their goal on climate change and reaching 100% renewable energy consumption by 2024.
      • We will describe Lehigh’s current plans for installing solar and how our project can benefit the university by increasing energy output, which has associated economic benefits.
    • Explain our approach and how it works. This is essentially our value proposition and our underlying magic.
      • We will have pictures and mockups of how this is intended to look.
    • Describe the more extensive context/system where our project exists. We will illustrate how the various constituent sub-systems work together and how the system interacts with external systems.
      • We will elaborate on stakeholders and how we interact with them.
      • We will also thank our donors and collaborators.
    • Describe the work we have done so far based on the results of literature reviews, prototyping, and experimentation.
      • We will include design thinking principles including the learnings thus far, such as:
        • PCM:
          • Cost improvements by using commercial grade. It is sufficient, and we do not need it to be lab grade to work, making it more economically feasible.
        • Thermal testing:
          • Describe our experiments on the appropriate placement of thermal couples and other equipment.
        • Design of the PCM container and preliminary power output calculations:
          • Elaborate on preliminary results using NREL’s PV Watts calculator and System Advisory Model (SAM). Also mention preliminary results from Ansys Fluent, a fluid simulation software.
        • Meetings and consultations with key experts in the field.
• Identify the research and design challenges and detailed plans to address them.
  • We will note the remaining questions such as:
    • The ideal thickness of the box housing the PCM, whether there should be PCM tubes, and how to attach fins on the back to cool the PCM.
  • Testing scope and schedule. We believe we will engage in Phase One of testing this spring in an Energy Research Center lab but, through a partnership with the Stonehouse Group, we will be allowed to test the prototype at the Flat-Iron Building near campus as Phase Two. Phase Three is adhering them onto the panels at Goodman Campus.
    • We will mention our thoughts on scalability.
  • Cost considerations such as:
    • A viable business model, including going to market,  which we are still pondering.

• Next steps with associated timelines.
• References slide with links to additional information we will use during the Q&A portion of the presentation.

Question 2: What supporting evidence will you provide for each point? 

We have supporting data for each point we make in the presentation. They include:

• Regarding the macro view, we will include data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration depicting the percentage of energy consumed by non-renewable versus renewable sources.
• For the micro view, we will reference Lehigh University’s Sustainability Plan 2020-2030; Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection to demonstrate the impact of climate change on individuals; and data on cooling days for Bethlehem that illustrate a trend in rising temperature.
• Our project
  • We will mention key articles used for our literature review.
  • We will also include data collected by the team and others at the Energy Research Center, including images of the PCM and latent heat of fusion through charts, figures, and time-lapse pictures.
  • We will describe findings from interviews/meetings with key stakeholders.
  • We will add calculations on photovoltaics’ annual solar energy output in Bethlehem, PA, and our hypothesis for energy output from adhering PCM.
• Stakeholders
  • Logos of donors and critical offices supporting our project.

Question 3: How will you boost your credibility every step of the way?

David S. Rose’s TED Talk, shown in our last class, elaborated on ten main ways to demonstrate credibility during a pitch. His suggestions below include specific actions we will take:

1.     Integrity by crediting past researchers who influenced our project, thanking our supporters, making eye contact, making good gestures, and staying upbeat.
2.     Passion by describing our interest in the project and the macro and micro views of the problem it is intended to help.
3.     Experience by showing all the research we have done thus far.
4.     Skill by how we have marketed the project to stakeholders and built up our technical abilities.
5.     Leadership through connecting with stakeholders, donors, and other external parties who have provided feedback on the project.
6.     Knowledge of how solar energy from photovoltaics (PV) works, laws of thermodynamics, and ways to improve the efficiency of PVs.
7.     Commitment by each team member to being prepared for the presentation and ready to answer questions.
8.     Vision by connecting our project to sustainability goals at Lehigh and beyond.
9.     Realism through being transparent on the challenges and research questions that remain.
10.    Coachability by discussing our support from Dr. Romero, grad students at the Energy Research Center, and other stakeholders.

(Image courtesy of UN)

Q1: What is a statement that summarizes the “macro” version of your problem? What is a statement that summarizes the “micro” version of your problem? In both cases think of an “elevator pitch” version of your problem statements.

By: Carol Obando-Derstine, Jade Sessions, Christie Ortega, and Andy Chung

 A “macro” version of our problem is how it is experienced from a big picture perspective. Our project pertains to solar energy technology. Even though humans have been using solar energy for thousands of years and eventually learned to make electricity from it, the U.S. Energy Information Administration notes 12% of electricity consumed in the U.S. comes from renewable sources. Of that figure, only 11% comes specifically from solar energy. Approximately 79% of electricity consumed comes from fossil fuel sources that are warming our planet at alarming rates. Shifting to higher levels of renewable energy is tied to the United Nation’s goal to limit global warming to 1.5 C to tackle climate change and minimize its impact by 2030.

A plausible elevator pitch is:

We need electricity to come from higher levels of renewable energy than the current 12% if we are to stave off the deleterious effects of climate change. We can maximize our most abundant energy resource –the sun–by making solar panels more efficient. A simple, effective, and low-cost solution is to apply a phase change material to the back of panels to ensure they remain at ideal temperatures. This engineering solution can help lessen our dependency on fossil fuels and slow further climate change impacts.

(References: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; U.S. Energy Information Administration; and UN Climate Action Goal 13.)

In contrast to a macro view, a micro version of the problem is how it impacts the lives of primary stakeholders and the secondary impacts it has. The problem is our oversized reliance on fossil fuels that continue to warm our planet. The U.S. Global Change Research Program’s Fourth National Climate Assessment lists many implications for Americans. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) lists the prevalent impacts of climate change specific to PA: more flooding, heat and respiratory deaths, disease and pests, and disruptions to agricultural systems. These impacts have a deleterious effect on public health, agriculture, and increased strains on infrastructure and emergency services. Negative results were also seen in tourism and recreation. One example of health impacts is that Pennsylvania has the highest rates of Lyme disease in the nation, which tripled in ten years to nearly 12,000 in 2017, leading to facial paralysis, arthritis, and compromising an individual’s ability to work and contribute to the economy. On the economic toll to all Pennsylvanians, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) estimates that in 2018 severe weather caused approximately $125 million in damages to public infrastructure, with the public absorbing over half of it on the local, county, or state level not covered by federal aid. The impact on people’s lives and wellbeing is stark from not enough consumption of energy coming from renewable energy.

An elevator speech for the micro considerations is:

There are direct impacts on people’s health, wellbeing, and economic outcomes tied to confronting climate change. Climate change is indeed the existential threat of our times, and we must tackle it from many different angles. One way is to increase the efficiency of solar panels by lowering their temperature because the laws of thermodynamics tell us that increased heat of any electronic equipment decreases their power output.

 (References: National Climate Assessment, Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II; PA DEP’s Climate Change in PA; CDC, Lyme Disease; and Energy Sage, How Hot Weather Affects Solar Panel.)

 

Q2: Based on your life experience, skills and interests, what would a design process that is both uniquely yours and effective look like?

By: Carol Obando-Derstine

In class, we learned about Stanford D School’s Design Thinking Process Guide that suggests the following iterative, not necessarily linear, processes to this work: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test. Based on my life experiences, skills, and interests, I would spend considerable time on the empathize, define, and ideate stages to ensure a thorough understanding of the matter.

My initial higher education experience in the aughts included a master’s from Penn State University in Community Psychology and Social Change. My career path as a child therapist, executive director of two nonprofits, and in public relations for a federal senator and a public utility honed my skills in listening to people. I decided on this career path because I was interested in improving communities, so I was trained to listen to concerns and strategize on coalition building. These are all essential skills for design thinking.

Fast forward twenty years and I am back in school but now studying energy systems engineering because of an interest in sustainability and renewable energy. The core of my personality and all my work and volunteer experiences keep me focused on helping others. Putting people at the center of solutions is crucial and makes an effective design process. It is precisely what I am doing currently as a volunteer for the Lehigh Valley Civilian Climate Corps. In Bill Aulet’s book, Disciplined Entrepreneurship, he notes this work is about “seeing the world through the eyes of the customer vs. seeing the world through the perspective of the company.” I cannot agree more.

The other crucial aspect to keep in mind is solutions are not final. If a person stays curious, they will continue to innovate and make improvements along the way. Again, it is about being impact-focused and realizing design thinking is an iterative process every step of the way.

Q3: You have begun to talk to stakeholders for your project, and will continue to do so going forward. For these conversations, list 10 hypotheses for your project that you will need to validate, and 10 assumptions your project is making, and the basis for those assumptions.

By: Carol Obando-Derstine, Jade Sessions, Christie Ortega, and Andy Chung

Hypotheses

1. Commercial grade Calcium Chloride Hexahydrate (CaCl₂* 6H₂O), as a phase change material (PCM), has the necessary latent heat of fusion to maintain solar panels at a constant temperature.
2. Placing a PCM behind a solar panel will increase the energy efficiency of the panel and serve as an energy storage mechanism.
3. Putting a heat sink behind the PCM will further increase the efficiency of the solar panel.
4. Solar panels combined with PCM will have a lower chance of degradation at different temperatures and seasons.
5. Solar panels with PCM will be more efficient than panels not integrating PCM under similar climate conditions.
6. Solar panels with PCM will have a higher life expectancy than those without PCM.
7. Commercial grade CaCl₂* 6H₂O will have a constant heat of fusion throughout the life expectancy of the solar panels.
8. The box containing the PCM will structurally withstand any weather conditions.
9. Solar panels with PCM will be affordable to customers, and there is an economic value to the addition of the PCM.
10. The materials used to create the PCM will be ethically sourced and able to be recycled.

Assumptions

1. Commercial grade CaCl₂* 6H₂O has a fairly constant heat of fusion on the basis that it is impure.
2. Commercial grade CaCl₂* 6H₂O will not produce any gas because it has a high heat of vaporization.
3. The experimental and control solar panels will be exposed to the same heat lamp simultaneously.
4. Solar panels’ efficiency and power output are negatively correlated with temperature increases. The graph below, from a previous study, demonstrated this effect. As the temperature increased from 28 degrees celsius to 80 degrees celsius, there was a significant decrease in power in crystalline silicon solar cells.

Figure 1. Graph of the effect of temperature on power drop of a solar panel.

5. PCM can be used to extract heat from solar panels. A study in Indonesia demonstrated that a solar panel combined with a PCM decreased the panel’s temperature by 10 degrees celsius (1).
6. PCM can increase the efficiency of the solar panel. A study in Malaysia demonstrated that a PV-PCM panel increased from 8.3% to 10.1% (1).
7. The use of PCM and fined heat sinks will contribute to the thermal management of the solar panel. A study conducted in New Zealand on photovoltaic cells using PCM-infused graphite and aluminum fins demonstrated that a constant temperature could be maintained over time (2).
8. Approximately 10 thermocouples (T/C) will be necessary for temperature detection
9. Using two resistance temperature detectors (RTDs), although more precise than T/Cs, will be sufficient to keep costs down.
10. We will need insulation around the T/Cs and RTDs.

References:

1. Sourav Khanna, K.S. Reddy, and Tapas K. Mallick. 2018. Optimization of finned solar photovoltaic phase change material (finned pv-pcm) system.
2. Peter Atkin and Mohammed M. Farid. 2015. Improving the efficiency of photovoltaic cells using PCM infused graphite and alumnium fins.

By: Carol Obando-Derstine, Christie Ortega, Jade Sessions, and Andy Chung

Question 1: Review the six focus areas in the Sustainability Strategic Plan 2030. Identify and describe in detail how your project aligns with one or more of the focus areas. Be sure to think outside of the box. Each project aligns with more than one focus area, although it might not be immediately obvious.

The six focus areas in Lehigh University’s Sustainability Strategic Plan 2020-2030 are Climate Action, Educational Experience, Culture & Engagement, Health & Wellness, Campus Operations, and Focused Leadership. Our project most closely aligns with the following focus areas:

 Climate Action

In the renewable energy category, Goal 11 aims to transition 100% of Lehigh’s electricity consumption to renewable energy in 2023 through on-campus and off-site projects. Goal 12, similarly, is designed to find renewable energy opportunities to offset natural gas usage. Since we intend to adhere phase change materials (PCM) to Lehigh’s existing photovoltaic panels (PV), the efficiency of these panels is expected to increase. Our impact will be increased solar energy generation to offset natural gas usage. The facilities being powered by solar panels are on the upper campus. By demonstrating that the energy efficiency of the solar panels can increase, more active buildings on campus such as first-year dorm buildings including Dravo, Drinker, and Taylor House could implement solar panels.

Educational Experiences

Our project is part of the Campus Sustainable Impact Fellowship program. Thus, it falls under Goal 6, which involves launching the program and merging it with Lehigh’s goals regarding sustainability while also promoting active learning and research. Our project clearly uses our “campus as a living lab,” so Goal 7 is applicable. We utilize the university’s infrastructure and operations to research PCM and its impact on the solar energy currently generated on campus. We are working at the Energy Research Center (ERC) with the director, Dr. Romero, and collaborating with graduate students to learn more about the challenges with PCM and how to use it to achieve the sustainability goals laid out in the strategic plan. We have learned that one major challenge will be the validity of the commercial-grade PCM.

Culture & Engagement

Projects like ours and the rest of those in the CSIF program will help attract, recruit, and admit other talented and diverse students with a sustainability mindset. Our project is buttressing the skill sets needed to excel after graduation. Although it might not be readily apparent and not a goal we are directly working towards, our project also meets Goal 6 by equipping us with socio-cultural experiences for a job market and world increasingly more concerned with sustainability.

Campus Operations

Our project also aligns with Campus Operations, Goal 30, which is to develop standards on operating buildings and facilities in a sustainable and energy-efficient manner. Once our project increases the efficiency of the existing panels, it could lead the university to assess whether there are opportunities to use phase change materials in other novel ways.

Focused Leadership

Goals 6 and 7 pertain to helping the university achieve recognition for its sustainability focus. In the aggregate, with all the other projects as part of the CSIF program, our project does help demonstrate the university’s commitment to sustainability.

 

Question 2: Identify the key Lehigh University-based and external stakeholders for your project.

We have identified the following stakeholders for our project. Internally, we believe they are: Lehigh University’s Energy Research Center, Office of Sustainability, and Facilities. Externally, we believe the City of Bethlehem would be interested in our plan and design.

For each stakeholder:

Describe what their interest in your project might be.

• A greater understanding of ways to increase solar panel energy output (Energy Research Center)
• Ways to increase renewable energy usage at Lehigh (Office of Sustainability/Facilities)
• Saving energy expenses (Facilities)
• Lowering the payback period of solar panels as the efficiency of panels increases (Facilities)
• Understanding our project and finding ways to incorporate it into the City’s Climate Action Plan demonstrating the sustainability efforts occurring within the City’s footprint (City of Bethlehem)

What resources might they provide?

• Funding (Internal resources)
• Data and statistics of student interest in solar panels (Office of Sustainability)
• Expertise/Recommendations (Energy Research Center)
• Software programs and materials needed (Energy Research Center)
• A place to conduct experiments (Energy Research Center)
• Marketing opportunities (City of Bethlehem)
• Connection to additional external resources (City of Bethlehem)

How does your work further their goals?

• Assists Lehigh’s goal to offset 100% of the university’s electricity consumption with renewable energy in 2023 (Office of Sustainability)
• Reduces Lehigh’s environmental footprint (Office of Sustainability)
• Increases research on energy and renewable energy (Energy Research Center)
• Energy costs saved would be invested into Lehigh University’s mission (All)
• Reduces the City’s environmental footprint through the City’s most prominent property owner (City of Bethlehem)

How might you engage with them?

• Email (All)
• In-person meeting with them (All)
• Virtual meeting (All)
• Attend a Bethlehem Environmental Advisory Council meeting (City of Bethlehem)

QUESTION 1: List the top 20 questions your team needs to answer to advance the venture forward. Categorize the questions if necessary.

Using Helen S. Cooke and Karen Tate’s book  Project Management as a guide,  specifically their discussion on product life-cycle stages, these are 20 questions that our group needs to answer to advance our venture forward:

Stage 1: Concept or Definition Stage

Initial Considerations

1. How do we incorporate sustainability as a core tenet of the project?
2. Do we have baseline data?
3. What are the short-term steps needed?

Resources and Materials

4. Who and what are all the resources available to us?
5. What training is needed to achieve the project goals?
6. When can all the new group members receive adequate training, and who will facilitate it?
7. When do we need to order materials, and who do we contact?

Stage 2: Design

Design Plan

8. What are the next steps if the material we chose as a PCM isn’t optimal?
9. What is a thermocouple?
10. What is our goal for the thermocouple experiment?
11. How do we adhere a PCM to a photovoltaic panel?
12. What is the best way to design the model and on which software?
13. How long will it take for the product to be developed and ready for use?

Finances/Costs

14. How much more efficient will these photovoltaic panels with PCM be compared to standard panels?
15. How much electricity will the photovoltaic panels with PCM generate?
16. How much money will the PCM-PV panels save the university in electricity costs?
17. Will the efficiency of the panels outweigh the cost of implementing the PCM?
18. What is the overall cost for all of the materials and processes needed to produce our project?
19. Are there any grants available to offset project costs?
20. What are the next steps after creating a successful project?

We will have additional inquiries for the other stages when further along in our project.  Later, we will focus on additional questions associated with:  Stage 3: Develop, construct and install; Stage 4 a:  Start-up, initial production; Stage 4b: Production, operations, and maintenance; and Stage 5: Retire.

QUESTION 2: Develop and Visualize the Theory of Change (Logic Model) for your venture.

Program:   CSIF Phase Change Materials             Logic Model

Inputs		Outputs			Outcomes — Impact
		Activities	Participation		Short	Medium	Long
Funding for materials, experiments, and any other relevant activities PCM material (CaCl2 6H2O) Existing photovoltaic panels Software needed, e.g., National Renewable Energy Lab’s System Advisory Model (SAM), Ansys Fluent (fluid simulation software), SolidWorks (computer aided design software) People willing to share knowledge:  Dr. Romero, Julio, Bob, and Lida		Determine the number of photovoltaic panels that will have PCM Analyze the optimal composition of PCM Measure the (%) efficiency of the PCM photovoltaic panels Engineer the most ideal design to adhere the PCM to the PV panels Measure the amount of electricity generated from the panels per day, month, and year Perform cost/benefit analysis of PV panels with PCM	Energy Research Center Lehigh’s Director of Energy Research Center and other department contacts Office of Sustainability		Increased efficiency/electricity generated of photovoltaic panels Assist Lehigh’s goal to offset 100% of the university’s electricity consumption with renewable energy in 2023 Assist Lehigh in achieving its sustainability goals around energy and climate action, which are modeled after the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal: Sustainable and Modern Energy for All	Lehigh saves money on electric costs Lehigh’s carbon footprint/greenhouse gas emissions decreases Less power used from non-renewable energy sources		Reduces Lehigh’s environmental footprint Energy costs saved would be invested into students Spur electrification throughout the campus and transition away from natural gas usage Panels with PCM will be tested, manufactured, and used off-campus? Lowering future costs of solar panels as the efficiency of panels increases

 

Assumptions		External Factors
Resources are available through the Energy Research Center Experiments can take place at the Energy Research Center Funds are available for purchasing materials for the prototype The finished prototype can be tested on the solar arrays on Goodman Campus Software is available for use via LTS Graduate students are available and willing to help facilitate experiments and training on some of the equipment to be used for the project		Temperature/climate outside Funds available Availability and willingness of key people to share their expertise

QUESTION 3: Develop an M&E (monitoring and evaluation) plan for your venture. (Optional) identify specific methods to measure the metrics.

• These are our group’s assumptions:
  • Resources are available through the Energy Research Center.
  • Experiments can take place at the Energy Research Center.
  • Funds are available for purchasing materials for the prototype.
  • The finished prototype can be tested on the solar arrays on Goodman Campus.
  • Software is available for use via LTS.
  • Graduate students are available and willing to help facilitate experiments and train group members on equipment to be used for the project.
• The following are short-term and long-term success metrics.
  • Short Term:
    • Learn all the software needed for the project.
    • Measure the efficiency of existing solar panels planned for Goodman Campus using the National Renewable Energy Lab’s System Advisory Model (SAM) software.
    • Decide which PCM is suitable, and the appropriate mixture needed.
    • Build a prototype including the PCM container using SolidWorks, a computer-aided 3D design software.
    • Verify and test the prototype on existing PV panels measuring heat reduction from PCM and whether there was an increase in electricity generated.
  • Long Term:
    • Measure the efficiency of the PCM photovoltaic panels over a more extended period of time.
    • Measure the amount of electricity generated from the panels per day, month, and year.
    • Evaluate costs/money saved as a result of the PCM-PV panels.

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.