The increased awareness of greenhouse
gas emissions on long-term
climate trends has put the spotlight back on the development of renewable
energy technologies to mitigate these processes. Solar based electricity
generation has gained widespread recognition as a viable source of
renewable energy but has been slowed by a number of factors including
cost and available application areas. Luminescent solar concentrators
(LSC) are being investigated as a low-cost route to expand solar energy
harvesting into new spaces. With this demonstration, we develop kits
for educating students about renewable and solar energy while promoting
a sense of creativity often lacking in STEM demonstrations. Students
design LSC devices by painting newly developed luminescent dyes on
plastic waveguides. Thin solar cell strips are mounted around the
edges of the LSC paintings to generate power. Creativity in design,
a central part of scientific discovery and advancement, is promoted
throughout the painting and testing of LSC materials.
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