Western Angels
Western Angels is a research and demonstration project run the Free Appropriate Sustainability Technology research group at Western University, a top global ranked university for sustainability.
The Western Angel wings are functioning solar panels that generate clean renewable electricity from solar energy. The demonstration project shows how open-source high-way sound barriers can be made to look beautiful while being self-financing through the generation of electricity.
The solar panels was manufactured by a team up between Biosphere Solar and Kameleon Solar.
Biosphere Solar makes solar modules for the circular economy that are meant to be dissassmebled and upgraded rather than discarded. Solar panels are great for the environment - but circular solar panels are even better - they are panels you can pass down to your grandchildren and their children.
Kameleon Solar can print anything onto the panels art (like the wings drawn by an art student in the FAST lab), photographs, logos, or patternss (like marble or wood) onto the panel surface.
What would you like your solar panels to look like?
More pictures on Western's FAST Lab Instragram
Freqenty Asked Quesions
[edit | edit source]Are they really solar panels?
[edit | edit source]Yes, absolutely! We left the printing off of the place where you stand so you can see the cells underneath. Most solar panels in the old days were blue silicon. FAST has helped develop both metal assisted chemical etching (MACE) or dry-etched passivated emitter rear cells (PERC), which is now used by the solar industry to improve the efficiency and make black silicon for black solar panels.
Kameleon Solar manufactures panels where the glass is colored carefully so you can make a black solar cell into a solar panel that can look like anything!
How do you make a solar panel that looks like a wing?
[edit | edit source]Kameleon Solar achieves these customizable aesthetics without compromising the core integrity of the solar panel. Their manufacturing process relies on a few key methods:
- Rear Contact (IBC) Cells: Monocrystalline silicon solar cells where all wiring is on the back, leaving the front surface uniform and entirely black, which creates a perfect, high-contrast canvas for colors and graphics.
- Coloring Software: Printing colors on solar panels is tricky because it reduces the light hitting the cells. Kameleon Solar uses specialized graphic translation software to calculate the exact ink pattern needed so the panel appears as a solid color from a distance, but still allows light to filter through to the cells beneath.
- Glass-Glass Construction: To ensure durability, the modules are sandwiched between two panes of glass, making them robust enough to be used as actual building facades or in this case a road sound barrier. This glass on glass construction is compatible with the BioSphere Solar process - that makes a solar panel more like a window instead of a sandwhich of glass glued together.
Are Solar Panels Good for the Environment?
[edit | edit source]Yes, solar panels are an overwhelming net positive for the environment. While manufacturing them requires significant energy and mining, they offset their carbon footprint within 1 to 4 years and produce zero-emission energy for the remaining 25+ years under warranty. Most solar panels work much longer that 25 years - in this case you can easily extend the life to 50 years by trading out new cells after a generation.
How could I do solar for myself?
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To Catch the Sun is a free book for anyone looking for inspiration and capability with small-scale solar power in order to meet their needs. The book focuses on small-scale, but the learnings in this book can be applied to large-scale micro-grids or even larger solar farms. If you are looking for solar for your house - see your local solar installer. If you want to do a solar sound barrier please contact FAST.
Western Angels is a Thompson Centre for Engineering Leadership & Innovation project with Ivey Business School and the Faculty of Engineering through Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at Western University in Canada.
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| License | CC-BY-SA-4.0 |
| Cite as | J.M.Pearce (2026). "Western Angels". Appropedia. Retrieved June 4, 2026. |