Solar Power From Home Curtains

kaliann writes "With the push for more sustainable energy, easy DIY kits for alternative energy sources are likely to become quite popular in the coming years. We may see some big improvements in our ability to 'green up' if these photovoltaic curtains become widely available."

Comments

Re:Serious flaw

[niiler]

This is a non-issue. When I was in Spain over a couple of summers, most houses had black-out shades, and many of them were dark in color. Few Spanish houses had AC, so everyone just draws their shades during the day while they are at work, but also during siesta (think nap time). You'd be amazed how much cooler it was with the shades down than with the shades up.

That said, I realize that in the US we don't have siesta, but we do have a ton of work-aholics who don't spend much time at home during the day. I would be more concerned with the reflection from the glass diminishing the efficiency of the curtains. Perhaps putting them on the roof *would* be a good idea.

Re:Cooling the Roof.

[xalorous]

Study some heat transfer principles. Depending on their reflectivity, these curtains may cause the roof to absorb MORE heat than the roofing does.

Ideally, solar installations for home use will not transfer heat directly into the house. A curtain laying directly on the roofing surface will absorb some light and create some electricity. However, light and heat that is not reflected will absorb and the greater part will transfer through to the house a large amount of heat. A smaller portion will radiate from the house.

Solar panels are typicaly elevated above the house. The air gap allows the panels to be cooled by airflow.

The actual news here is that they can create solar fabric. I'm sure they can design a roofing system that will use the material to generate electricity while the system maintains an air and water seal and reflectivity of the largest part of the sun's energy.