Biomimicry in practice

Panelite ClearShade Insulating Glass Unit
Just as the hub of a bee hive is the honeycomb, the hub of New York-based Panelite’s ClearShade insulating glass unit is its “tubular polycarbonate” core. Modeled after the hexagonal structure of a honeycomb, ClearShade’s core limits sunlight coming through glass thereby reducing heat gains as well as energy costs. Because light rays can only make it through when they hit the glass perpendicularly, the sun is most obscured when it is highest in the sky. At midday, ClearShade has a low shading coeffcient and a low solar heat gain coefficient—which Panelite touts as “four times better than a typical insulating glass unit.”
The honeycombed glass glaze was first used in the entryway of the McCormick Tribune Campus Center at the Illinois Institute of Technology, and was last year installed in the new JetBlue terminal at JFK International Airport. The ClearShade insulating glass unit can be glazed different colors, and its unique structure can give logos or patterns a three-dimensional effect. More info: www.e-panelite.com

Dye Solar Cell
Using a dye similar to the chlorophyll found in green leaves, the Dye Solar Cell (DSC) prototype by Dyesol departs from the more traditional silicon-based solar cells by working to mimic the photosynthetic processes of plants. Dyesol’s technology creates an artificial photosynthetic process by inducing a charge between a titanium dioxide semiconductor and an electrolyte solution. Then it builds the technology into small tiles that compose panels, which can be installed anywhere that might accommodate the conventional photovoltaic panels. Dyesol argues that the DSC is a sustainable answer to the commonly used silicon-based solar cells, which require large amounts of energy to produce.
The Australia-based company has a working prototype and is aiming to license its technology. It reported in June 2009 that it received an order for more than $788,500 of Dye Solar Cells to a subsidiary of Malaysia-based Petronas, a Fortune Global 500 company. Dyesol also sells the photosynthetic dyes and other components on its Web site. More info: www.dyesol.com

Stolit Lotusan Paint
StoCorp picked up on the cleaning-power of a lotus—a plant with a unique hydrophobic microstructure that forces water droplets to bead and roll off its leaves—to improve the lifespan of numerous hard-to-clean materials such as stucco, concrete and other exterior wall finishes. The company’s Solit Lotusan exterior coating paint, with its patented “Lotus Effect” has super-hydrophobic properties and miniscule peaks and valleys on the its surface, making it highly resistant to water, dirt, mold, mildew, chalk and even UV rays. Stolit Lotusan paint can help surfaces stay dry and clean, and could help decrease maintenance cleaning and water costs for building owners.
The StoCorp’s “Lotus Effect” coating, coined by botanist Dr. Wilhelm Barthlott, was introduced into the European market in 1999 and has now been applied to more than 300 million square feet of façade surfaces. Available in more than 38 colors and custom tints, Stolit Lotusan can be used to coat over prepared vertical concrete, masonry or plaster substrates. More info: www.stocorp.com