Art Generates Amps
The dream is here, it's electric, and it’s made of glass.
The visionary glass artist Sarah Hall does it again. This time with a unique fusion of art and engineering that transports us into the future. Hall’s new work is the first public demonstration of solar art glass in North America.
The National Mall in Washington DC is lined with monuments and museums honouring historic events and innovations, but this week there will be a new light on the block as Sarah Hall brings her unique fusion of art and technology to the US Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon this October 7-16th, 2005.
If you haven't heard of the Solar Decathlon, you will soon. This competition is bringing 18 college and university teams from around the globe to design and build solar powered homes. With today’s energy prices, events like this are destined to attract more and more attention. Nearly 10,000 people visited the "solar village" last time and thousands more are expected at this year’s event.
Sarah's work, installed in Canada’s entry, "Northern Light", merges the ancient art of stained glass with cutting edge technology to produce a window that not only looks magnificent, but works for its living as well by gathering and storing electricity for later use. Embedded in the window is an array of photoelectric cells (thin silicon and metal squares that convert light into electricity), and these collect enough energy to illuminate the building’s foyer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Although the window components (art glass, photovoltaic cells and tempered glass) are well known, they are combined here using a patented method that produces a reliable and attractive source of energy. Solar cells come in a wide range of colors, allowing an unlimited range of designs, and the technology that collects and stores the energy is concealed, allowing the beauty of Sarah’s art and glass to shine through.
Solar cells are a nearly perfect energy source, as they generate electricity without emitting harmful greenhouse gases. And because they are so durable they can transform nearly any surface into a clean, long-lasting energy source. By bringing them into this engaging artwork Sarah Hall has given us a window into the future – one where sustainable living is a natural and integral part of everything we do. Her ultimate goal? To see photovoltaic windows in every major building in North America.
The dream is here, it's electric, and it’s made of glass and "powered" by art.
Sarah Hall is an internationally recognized artist creating large-scale art glass installations. Her exceptional contribution to the built environment work has garnered ‘Honour Awards’ from the American Institute of Architects and the ‘Allied Arts Award’ from the Ontario Association of Architects. In 2002, Sarah’s artistic achievements were acknowledged by membership in the Royal Canadian Academy of Art. Last year Sarah was granted an Arts Fellowship from the Chalmers Foundation to support her innovative work in photovoltaic glass art.
As she integrates these systems into her art glass windows, Hall will explore the connections between light, colour, imagery and energy and her own deep concerns for our natural world and our future.
For Hall, these projects are an opportunity to set the stage for the 21st century in stained glass.
"By forging an image with a source of energy we create a powerful story about how we can live in this world: it gives us a chance to dream about who we can be."
Sarah Hall
WINDOW: Photovoltaic art glass for "Northern Light", Canada's entry to the Solar Decathlon in Washington, DC. Dimensions: 6.5' high x 5' wide. Art Glass: Fired air-brushed enamels, sand-blasted and gold-leafed. Safety glass: triple-glazed with low-e.
TOP PHOTO: Artist Sarah Hall with her work.
