From Appropedia
| Prof. Joshua M. Pearce
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| Hi. I am cross appointed as an Associate Professor in the Materials Science & Engineering and the Electrical & Computer Engineering at Michigan Tech. I currently run the Michigan Tech in Open Sustainability Technology (MOST) group. I am also an affiliated faculty member in the graduate program in Environmental and Energy Policy at MTU and an adjunct professor in Mech and at Queens University, Canada where I run the Queens Applied Sustainability Group. Please feel free to drop me a line
Webpages: Queen's faculty page, LinkedIn, Wiserearth, QSpace, COS ScitopicsThingiverse Scribd, RepRap wiki, Research ID, shareable, SSRN, P2P Foundation, Academic.edu, Google Scholar,Research gate, 80000hrs, Power Africa Int.
For me: MOST tasks, Userspace, Things to do, MOST Appropedia pageview counter
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[edit] Research Interests
My research focuses on open and
applied sustainability, which is the application of science and innovation to ensure a better quality of life for all, now and into the future, in a just and equitable manner, whilst living within the limits of supporting ecosystems. Specifically I am interested in exploring the way
solar energy can be used to provide clean sustainable electricity through
photovoltaic devices and how the sharing of
open source hardware and software can create sustainable and equitable means of production (e.g. create
open source appropriate technology and other free and
open source hardware).
[edit] Photovoltaic Materials and Electronic Device Physics of Solar Cells:
Photovoltaic electrical production is a technologically feasible, economically viable, environmentally benign, sustainable, and socially equitable solution to society’s future energy requirements. If anyone is still concerned about the energy payback of solar cells please read this. There is currently a big debate in the photovoltaic industry on how to get low cost solar electricity. Is it better to go with high efficiencies and pay more up front -- or really push the costs down with junk materials and accept an efficiency penalty. I don't know which way is better so I do research on both approaches.
[edit] Indium gallium nitride - ultra high efficiency moderate cost
- This research intends to radically reduce the costs of photovoltaic devices by developing an ultra-high efficiency indium gallium nitride (InGaN) solar cell. The primary reason InGaN shows such incredible promise as a photovoltaic material is the ability to modify its band gap by adjusting the ratio of indium and gallium in the film. A multi-layered cell of InGaN can be made with band gaps ranging from 0.7eV (InN) to 3.4eV (GaN) which covers the entire range of the solar spectrum. See some of our latest work here: S. Keating, M.G. Urquhart, D.V.P. McLaughlin and J.M. Pearce, “Effects of Substrate Temperature on Indium Gallium Nitride Nanocolumn Crystal Growth”, Crystal Growth & Design, 11 (2), pp 565–568, 2011. open access
[edit] Amorphous silicon - moderate efficiency but low cost
- Amorphous silicon PVT - Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) based solar cells are the least expensive at a given production level and posses an excellent ecological balance sheet. The ecological and economic promise of a-Si:H solar cells is currently incomplete because of the light induced degradation of its electronic properties known as the Staebler-Wronski Effect (SWE). Numerous theories have been proposed to explain SWE, and my work has focused on the analysis of experimental evidence for a complex SWE mechanism - with an eye on controlling and eliminating the problem. Recent publications on the technical aspects of a-Si:H solar cells.
[edit] Solar Photovoltaic Systems Engineering
[edit] Completed projects and publications
[edit] Michigan Tech
| Michigan Tech Open Sustainability Technology Group Completed Projects and Publications 2013 |
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| Michigan Tech Open Sustainability Technology Group Completed Projects and Publications 2011-2012 |
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[edit] Teaching
I also a strong proponent for service learning in engineering and making change. Utilizing appropriate technology projects to motivate students to learn physics. Also using service learning and commissioned assignments to solve real world environmental problems.
[edit] Courses with a service learning component
I have used Appropedia to support the following courses:
- APSC100 - Engineering - First Year Project course
- MECH370 - Materials Processing
- Mech425 - Engineering for Sustainable Development
- MECH820 - Solar Photovoltaic Materials, Cells and Systems Engineering
- MECH836 - Applied Sustainability and CMAS801
- MY3701 - Introduction to Semiconductor Materials Science and Engineering
- MY5970 - Solar Hacking
- MY5490/EE5490 - Solar Photovoltaic Science and Engineering
- PH261 - Physics of Energy and the Environment
- PH254 - Introduction to Nanotechnology
[edit] The International Journal for Service Learning
I am the manuscript editor for the IJSLE. The International Journal for Service Learning in Engineering (IJSLE) is a peer-reviewed electronic journal offered free, semi-annually, over the World Wide Web. The Journal welcomes manuscripts based on original work of students and researchers with a specific focus or implication for service learning in engineering, engineering entrepreneurship in service, or related service learning pedagogy.
With an increasing number of individuals and institutions of higher education becoming involved in service learning and entrepreneurship in service learning, the IJSLE is an invaluable resources for students, faculty, practicing engineers and local communities. With articles relating to the latest design and research pertinent to local communities, the faculty-reviewed articles in each issue provide the reader with timely information related to:
* Engineering Design Projects as Service
* Engineering Research Projects as Service
* Engineering-Related Entrepreneurial Projects as Service
* Pedagogy in Engineering-Related Service Learning
If you are contributing to Appropedia - you should seriously consider submitting a manuscript once your project has come together
