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Camouflaged Solar Panels: Tesla Roof Tiles Power Home Batteries & Electric Cars

21 Nov

[ By WebUrbanist in Gadgets & Geekery & Technology. ]

tesla-solar-roof

Elon Musk is attacking the question of energy storage and consumption at home, first with electric cars, then with home batteries and now the final piece of the puzzle: solar panels people will actually want to show off.

tesla-material-types

Developed in collaboration with 3D, their semi-translucent Solar Roof tiles cost less than ordinary roofs, insulate better and best of all they generate energy to charge your electric batteries (Powerwall) and automobiles (Model X). This is effectively the final missing piece from the ultimate sustainable-power smart house.

teslatiles

The three-layered design features a normal solar panel at the bottom with a film on top that renders it invisible from below but operational under the sun’s rays coming from above. At the top is a tempered glass that is shatter-resistant, making it more durable than conventional clay (with a lifespan well beyond the typical 20-year roof).

telsa-powerwall-batteries

Aside from these benefits, perhaps the single biggest selling point is the array of material styles: Textured Glass, Slate Glass, Tuscan Glass and Smooth Glass. It may sound superficial but looks matter — neighbors complain and residents shy away from too-overt solar tech attached to their house.

tesla-demo-house

And people trust Tesla to do more than make better technology: they expect a high level of visual design as part of the package. Also, since they are all coming from the same collection of companies, one can expect superior installation and integration options tying Tesla cars, Powerwalls and Solar Tiles together. Between the tech and its brand backing, this development promises to boost solar adoption to new heights.

[ By WebUrbanist in Gadgets & Geekery & Technology. ]

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Invisible Solar: Panels Camouflaged as Wood, Clay, Stone & Concrete

21 Oct

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Products & Packaging. ]

solar-shingle-design

Overcoming the awkward aesthetic factor typically faced by home solar technology, these disguised panels look like ordinary building materials you would expect to spot along the sides, steps or roof of a house.

solar-camouflaged-disguised

Dyaqua, an Italian company, has developed their Invisible Solar series to look like concrete bricks, slate shingles and wooden boards, allowing them to blend into ordinary built environments. A thin top layer mimics desired materials while allowing the sun’s rays through to the photovoltaic cells beneath.

solar-material-cover

From the company: “The Invisible Solar modules are composed of a non-toxic and recyclable polymeric compound, within which are incorporated the monocrystalline silicon cells. A special surface, opaque at the sight and transparent to the sun rays, covers the cells by hiding them without prevent their operation.”

invisible-solar-panel

Instead of adding semi-reflective, black-and-grey accents to a traditional wood or masonry structure, these fixtures are designed to fit any abode, historic or modern. The company has begun production with the Rooftile, which resembles a typical reddish-brown terracotta shingle.

solar-wood-block

secret-solar-panels

From there, they aim to create blocks and boards that can be used on walls (cladding) or walkways (pavement) sure to please even the toughest community design standards boards. They are also built for strength and durability, able to “withstand high static load, tolerates chemical solvents and atmospheric agents.”

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Products & Packaging. ]

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Invisible Barn: Mirrored Surfaces Create Camouflaged Folly

23 Apr

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

invisible structure windows reflections

Like a mirage on the horizon, the structure seems to shimmer into and out of existence, playing tricks on the eye with a combination of see-through portals and reflective surfaces.

invisible barn at night

Designed for the 2014 Folly Competition held by The Architecture League, the idea was to slip something into an existing park context that would draw attention and generate interaction.

invisible architecture mylar plywood

Deceptively, the building itself is nearly two-dimensional, adding another element of camouflage depending on the angle of view or direction of approach. Unlike its more solid cousin the invisible cabin, the result in this case could really catch you by surprise, but is still probably less dangerous to walk into by accident than a mirrored fence.

invisible mirrored architectural concept

One of the self-imposed problems its designers sought to solve revolved around the question of year-round engagement – how to make something that changed and was worth revisiting from one season to the next.

invisible building site plan

From the design brief: “This mirror-finished folly is placed in the middle of the grove and reflects its surrounding environment: different species of trees and plants, sky, ground and the seasonal changes of the site. The reflection of the folly within its enclosed grove allows the structure to smoothly assimilate into the nature.”

invisible design concept drawing

“The incisions that penetrate through the folly allow visitors to maneuver in, out, and around the structure. Invisible Barn is a folly that loses its man-made architectural presence in nature but adds novel experience and interaction to the users.””

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

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Invisible Tree: Trunk Wrapped & Camouflaged to Float on Air

10 Jan

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

invisible tree painting process

A simple illusion with so much potential – wrap an object, paint the wrapping plastic and presto, a central section appears to disappear before your eyes.

invisble tree floating effect

In the the case of this collaboration between street artists Daniel Siering and Mario Shu, it would seem the trick only works from one perspective. Still, in a consistent landscape, the effect could work in potentially all directions.

invisible tree wrap illusion

The only problem one might worry about in the case of this roadside attraction is the impact on surprised drivers doing a double-take as they pass by.

invisible tree art installation