----- Original Message ----- From: Lienesch, Gary W. (BP Solar) To: 'Cathy Colwell' Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2001 8:35 AM Subject: RE: Mainland High School Project (guidelines) Hi Cathy, I'm happy to accept. I will provide whatever time I can spare to advise your group. You do have a good track record in this competition. I'll try to help you continue your success. Gary W Lienesch Applications Engineer BP Solar 630 Solarex Court Frederick, Maryland 21703 USA Phone: ++1-301-698-4448 Fax: ++1-301-698-4572 Email: lienesgw@bpsolar.com Web: http://www.bpsolar.com/ -----Original Message----- From: Cathy Colwell [mailto:colwell@mindspring.com] Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2001 7:13 AM To: Lienesch, Gary W. (BP Solar) Subject: Mainland High School Project (guidelines) Gary, The contest we have entered is called the Internet Science and Technology Fair (ISTF). It is sponsored by the college of engineering at UCF. We have chosen Energy as our national critical technology (NCT). Our technical application is focusing on increasing a building's efficiency with an emphasis on window efficiencies and PV technologies. http://istf.ucf.edu/Guidelines/High/ In the contest we have to identify two existing products (in our case, either two types of solar cells (thin film) and/or a window technology), understand their properties and then propose a new product. The new product does not have to be "Nobel Prize" winning - it merely needs to address a realistic need and a (at least partial) solution. What we have learned is that windows reduce the energy efficiency of most buildings by a factor of 25%. With the (fossil fuel) energy crisis and the abundance of solar energy, what we want to propose is a new window design - one in which the window has already integrated into it solar cells for the collection of solar energy. So that the window is not just glazed or thermally insulated, but actually an energy source as well as a source of natural, ambient light. The initial price does not have to be competitive, any new design is always expensive until it goes into mass production. In addition, there has to be a positive economic impact and workforce demand for the product. Our college program is in solar architecture - the integration of solar technologies and building design/function. During the course of this investigation we are to secure assistance from a technical advisor. I am hoping that you would be willing for us to include your name on our website as a technical advisor. Another link that you might want to look at to give you a more global picture of this contest is http://istf.ucf.edu/Hall_of_Fame/ Mainland's past two projects are listed here: (the links on their page are incorrect, please use these) Biomass http://mainland.cctt.org/istf2000/Page/iexplorer.htm in 1999-2000 and TurtleLights http://mainland.cctt.org/istf/ in 1998-1999 I am crossing my fingers that you will accept our offer. Anxiously awaiting your reply, Cathy