● Inspiration

The word „solar panel“ immediately evokes the image of a cold-engineered piece of equipment. While we all acknowledge the energy efficiency of solar energy, the aesthetic of rituals triggered by the sun has been ignored.

Taking inspiration from plants gathering solar energy and growing. Imagining objects can be given life or purpose when the sun showers. This is where the quirk of inflatable steps in and fits this high hope nicely.

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● Concept

- Solar energy incubates the object

At the very beginning of this semester, when all of us are in the idea brainstorming phase. I was seeking a chance to develop the idea that allows translating solar energy into a subtle express, a more seamless application for the solar panel.

What if the moment when the sun is up, something grows and provides a place to take a rest?

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● Research & Decisions

- Scale in public space

Getting the feeling of all kinds of sun umbrellas’ dimensions in public or commercial spaces, such as parks, typical Biergarten in Berlin, Raucherbereich, the outdoor Sommer Kino…

After that, I quickly built the full-scale prototype and add up the essential component in a nasty way, to test the concept and also post challenges for later on. But on the occasion of time when things came together, the principle of the project was decided.

- Essential components

Take a look at the exploded view. From bottom to top,

• The copper sleeve which is nailed to the ground, for rotation possibility
• The steel tube with a little bending form for handle purpose
• The fan stands for holding the inflating axial fan, and also in the transit position where solid material meets the soft balloon
• The Umbrella chamber, the essential part we will talk about it later
• At the very top comes the solar panel which cap the balloon 

When the sun gets intense, it initiates the fan which takes air from below and blows it into the balloon chamber.

- Umbrella chamber design

The inflated form should also be considered about not to shrink too much in the profile. The approach is setting the anchor line to control the both shape and profile area. With the physical welding chamber testing and the brief simulation with grasshopper kangaroo, here are essential generations of the chamber design.

(The orange spot is where the air enter and the dashed line is where the anchor lines were set.)

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● Future Plan

In this project, there is an idea, a proposition. That the inflated and deflated status serves as a unique sunlight indicator, making the urban city react to the power from the sun, thus forming an impressive landscape and willing to serve gentleness in daily life. 

To continue the essence of this idea and make it realized in our daily life. The fabric choice and the beauty of the inflated to deflated cycle can be more integrated, to make it stands elegantly as an urban installation. The location and the maintenance should be more considered.