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Joshua M. Pearce
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Hi. Please feel free to drop me a line

You can learn much more about me here or at my LinkedIn Page

Assistant Professor in MME at Queen's University

I am currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Queens University, Kingston, Canada.

Courses

I have used Appropedia to support the following courses:

Research Interests

Photovoltaic Materials and Electronic Device Physics of Solar Photovoltaic Cells:

Hydrogenated amorphous and nanocrystalline silicon (a-Si:H, nc-Si:H)
Gallium nitride (GaN) and indium gallium nitride (InGaN)
Semiconductor defects 

Applied Sustainability and Green Engineering

Solar energy
Energy policy - see GLSEC
Sustainable development
Service learning in engineering

The International Journal for Service Learning

I am the manuscript editor for the ISLE. 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

Now IJSLE is on OJS If you are contributing to Appropedia - you should seriously consider submitting a manuscript once your project has come together

Current Projects, Collaborations and Mayhem

A lot of my time has the intent of Making change For more details:[1]

Solar Photovoltaic Research and Application

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.

Amorphous and Nanocrystalline Silicon Solar Cells

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.

Passive Solar Device Design

I am currently working on several projects that utilize sunlight passively. In collaboration with Denkenberger Inventing and Consulting LLC, a computer program has been written to simulate the complex heat transfer and optics of solar stills and pasteurizers.

Service Learning Pedagogy

Utilizing appropriate technology projects to motivate students to learn physics. Also using service learning and commissioned assignments to solve real world environmental problems.

Industrial symbiosis and Industrial ecology

Waste to resources programs for industrial partners

Distributed Generation

It appears that Distributed generation is the future of the grid and could be a large impetus for renewable energy. Combined heat and power technology - specifically Microturbines that can push >85% compared to ~35% from the grid.

Energy Policy

Recent work to alter electric rates to favor Renewable energy and Distributed generation. See the write up about it here: [2]. For a more detailed look in a trade magazine see this article in “Electric Rates and Fixed Charges: How US Utilities Suppress Distributed Generation in Cogeneration & Onsite Power Production, Vol.10(1) pp. 73-77, 2008.

OSN

Things to work on

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