Felix Flückiger

There is a lack of knowledge on the lifetime assessment of modern solar selective absorbers. In the project ColourAge, the performance and durability of different aluminium based coatings are studied. The combined effect of high humidity, condensation and temperature on the degradation of optical and chemical properties is assessed. Advanced techniques for materials characterization were used to identify the main degradation mechanisms: surface/interface (XPS, TEM) and chemical (EDX) analysis, as well as optical measurements (UV-Vis-NIR and FTIR spectroscopy).

Clean water, a reliable power supply and cooling systems for medicines and vaccines are not a given in many rural hospitals in Africa. To ensure better healthcare also in remote regions, the EU is supporting SophiA project, which relies on modular containers to produce drinking water, heat, cold and electricity using solar energy. SPF Institute for Solar Technology is part of the international team responsible for the solar technology, the Life Cycle Assessment of the SophiA systems as well as the energy management and control of the subsystems.

The are no universal guidelines or thresholds for reflected sunlight in the public space. In this project, physical parameters for an objective description and quantification of a «discomfort glare» from reflected sunlight are elaborated. Furthermore, the scattered reflection (bidirectional reflectance distribution function, BRDF) of several glass types and other materials of the building envelope is measured in order to generate an extensive database. This database can help to evaluate the «discomfort glare» from solar installations and other surfaces of the building envelope already in the planning phase. New materials or surfaces can be compared with standard materials of the database in order to assess their effect concerning glare from reflected sunlight.