How it works
We have worked with simple design principles:
- Minimal cost and maximum reuse. The projector re-uses the components of an old overhead projector and an obsolete LCD screen. The films are driven by a Raspberry Pi, a £25 computer. The light catching dome was kindly donated by Solatube.
- All the energy we need to power the electronic components is collected from the sun using brand new organic solar cell technology that offer the potential to harvest the sun cost efficiently.
Overview
Testing the latest solar cells
The 45 solar cells on the roof are brand new technology. Produced relatively simply using screen printing techniques and abundant polymer materials, they have the potential to provide a cost effective source of energy. Compared to traditional silicon solar cells they currently have relatively low efficiency, harvesting 2% of the sun's energy compared with between 10-20% for more traditional cells. In full sun our roof generates around 40 watts of power (40 volts and 1 amp of current).
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