Dynamic Photovoltaics: Solar Panels for Everyone
Location
Dynamic Photovoltaics has developed the first cost-effective solar panel tracking system capable of accurate movement, requiring little knowledge to operate, contributing to an accessible solution of sustainable energy collection especially in developing countries.
About You
Location
Project Street Address
Project City
Project Province/State
Project Postal/Zip Code
Project Country
Your idea
Field of Work
environment
If Field of Work is “other” please define in 1-2 words below
Year project started (or projected start date) (yyyy)
2002
YouTube Upload
Project URL (or link to any media coverage)
What is the primary problem your venture is trying to address and how are you addressing it (or planning to address it)?
Research is required into the field of alternative energy sources to solve the energy crisis, and also to allow for energy to be provided in developing countries. This will reduce issues such as poverty, access to education and starvation. Harnessing solar energy proves to be an increasingly practical due to its widespread installation. In this day and age, energy is costly and difficult to provide to developing nations. Furthermore, incident solar radiation is collected in many areas of the world as a conventional procedure. Important to the future of sustainable development, Dynamic Photovoltaics is a project that has invented the first solar panel tracking system to be capable of high-precision and cost-effective accessibility. Being constructed from common materials with minimal maintenance required, this project is financially viable for energy collection in developing countries. It is also easy to calibrate and use, thus allowing anybody capable of reading basic instructions to be able to repair and correct it, without a specialized education in electrical engineering.
Name Your Project
Dynamic Photovoltaics: Solar Panels for Everyone
Describe Your Idea
Dynamic Photovoltaics has developed the first cost-effective solar panel tracking system capable of accurate movement, requiring little knowledge to operate, contributing to an accessible solution of sustainable energy collection especially in developing countries.
Innovation
Project Description
Dynamic Photovoltaics has developed the first cost-effective solar panel tracking system capable of accurate movement, requiring little knowledge to operate, contributing to an accessible solution of sustainable energy collection especially in developing countries.
Unique and different
This project is the first of its kind to be able to achieve this kind of accessibility among different audiences, whether it be mass energy farms or a local village in a developing country. Since it is made of commonly found materials, it has a low cost that can be easily afforded, and further utilized without requiring a specific education, unlike current technologies available today.
Project plan
Dynamic Photovoltaics will continue refining design plans and collaborating with academic and industrial members of the field in order to finalize details of the invention. New and innovative improvements for the device are constantly being applied to the project. Potential plans of patenting will be examined.
Partnerships
Dynamic Photovoltaics is supported by distinguished faculty members of the local university, as well as industrial partners. Their advice has proven to be invaluable to the progress of this project. Such partnerships were established through meetings at scientific and technological conferences, as well as through initial online contact.
Impact
Impact
Dynamic Photovoltaics will revolutionize the field of renewable energy by enabling developing countries to afford localized solar panel systems that they can repair themselves without additional assistance.
Effectiveness
This project is still within its prototyping stages, and has not been established within the target audience yet. When the project is ready to be publicly released, the target audience that will benefit from this innovation will primarily be local communities in developing countries in need of affordable energy to power their buildings.
How do you engage and impact the community?
Promotional campaigns on an international scale will be conducted to raise awareness and gather financial and social support for the project. The impact that this project has on the community will be evident after implementation of the solar panel systems have provided energy to many homes and buildings for families in need. It will significantly increase the quality of life among populations in developing countries, and globalize people for a greater integrated society.
How do you measure this impact?
This impact will be measured in the number of successful systems implemented, how much energy has been generated, as well as qualitative values that will be evident with an increased quality of life within the target audience.
Obstacles
A lack of financial funding and public awareness of the project may be an obstacle in maximizing the impact of Dynamic Photovoltaics. The process for patenting and development will also be an extended process, in which Dynamic Photovoltaics must be conscious of other inventions and developments that may render the current project outdated.
This Entry is about (Issues)
Sustainability
Financing source
(or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)
Currently, the initiative is financed through private donations and monetary awards that the initiative has won. Throughout the next year, Dynamic Photovoltaics hopes to apply for environmental grants that may be able to support the project, now that the invention is at a more developed stage. Additionally, the project receives some funding from its partnerships.
Aside from financial sustainability, how do you plan to grow and sustain your project?
As the project gathers more popularity and momentum past the development stage, the project will be able to support itself. Its minimal cost of construction will be supported by the profit earned from the project, which will also be priced at a reasonable and affordable value. Because of the project's innovative nature, the large amount of support for the project will be able to provide Dynamic Photovoltaics with significant financial sustainability.
Finance details
At this point, private and in-kind donations have totalled approximately $1000 for the development of a small-scale prototype of the concept. The project is headed by the director and founder, with no other team members at this stage, on a voluntary basis. The director and founder of Dynamic Photovoltaics is also the researcher and engineer. Partners have also contributed to this project in a voluntary manner, including four university faculty members and two industrial field members.
Creative funding
At this point, mass methods of acquiring funding and resources have not been necessary due to the small-scale nature of the project. As the project expands within the near future, more team members will be recruited to support fundraising methods such as special events within the local high school and community.
Other non finance needs
This project requires consultation and suggestions from other academic and industrial members in order to be realized, initially at the development stage. Once the project has been developed, produced and distributed, a minimal amount of resources and services will be required for the consumer.
The Story
Motivation
Optimization of photovoltaic technology in energy collection has been a passion of mine for many years. This project is founded on the basis of improving conventional technology and my own previous science fair projects through an entirely different method. Because there is not much research in passive photovoltaic tracking, this project aims to expand on the field.
Awards
This project has had the honour of presenting at two Intel International Science and Engineering Fairs, one Canada Wide Science Fair and eight regional science fairs. Awards and recognitions have been received from organizations such as Youth Science Foundation Canada, Ricoh Corporation, Natural Resources of Canada Office of Energy Efficiency, Nortel Networks, University of Western Ontario, Atomic Energy of Canada, Canadian Council for Technologists and Technicians, Queen's University, and several others.
Broader context
This project is entirely run by a youth researcher, and thus proves that the following generation is capable of leading a movement of social change that allows innovations and successes to be generated for a brighter future. New ideas are being proposed by youth, which allows for fresh perspectives to be brought to the table.
Ongoing
As more resources and educational knowledge are acquired to contribute to the project, Dynamic Photovoltaics is dynamic: changing and improving to meet the needs of those in the global society. Solar panel research of this project will continue throughout many years, as the primary researcher reaches a professional level in the academic or industrial field.
What is your age?
16
How did you hear about this competition?
Through the main Changemakers.net website, found through Google links.
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