Uses a Photovoltaic Panel, Air Pump, and Simple Mechanics to Open and Close a Window Shutter Based on Sunlight Conditions
This building exterior incorporates shade panels that automatically open and close in response to sunlight. Kinetic façades are architectural surfaces on the exterior of a building capable of changing their shape or position. Typically, kinetic façade systems rely on motors or actuators driven by internal power source such as batteries to shift exterior components such as windows as weather conditions change, but these power sources invoke increased manufacturing costs. The reliance on a myriad of interrelated components to facilitate movement in typical kinetic façades further increases the manufacturing and maintenance costs of these systems.
Researchers at the University of Florida have overcome these drawbacks by designing a straightforward solar-powered kinetic façade system. The façade’s shading panels will open and close based on sunlight conditions. A photovoltaic panel senses the sunlight and harnesses it to power the opening or closing cycle. The façade endows the building with an autonomous cooling response on sunny days that increases sustainability.
Application
Sunlight-driven, temperature-controlling building exteriors for long-lasting, sustainable building design
Advantages
- Automatically deploys shading panels under sunny conditions, cooling the building without using any electricity
- Obviates the need for an independent power supply, reducing manufacturing costs and maintenance requirements
- Decreases the number of components constituting the façade system, streamlining installation and upkeep
Technology
Sunlight entering a building through its windows plays a significant role in raising the temperature of the building on hot, sunny days. This rotating window element provides a cooling response by using solar power to open or close shading panels, blocking sunlight. A photovoltaic panel generates an electric current based on sunlight conditions that activates pneumatics to reconfigure the shading panels. When the sun is out, the photovoltaic panel detects its rays, and the resulting current activates an air pump to fill an air pillow with air, rotating the window element to block sunlight. When the sun is down, the system signals the window to close by releasing the air in the air pillow. By depending on only a handful of photovoltaic and pneumatic components, this kinetic façade can be long-lasting and low-cost.
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