178UW.A.S.P.

Thermostat

Abstract
Imsureyouhaveseenasolarpanelorhaveathermostatinyourhouse.Over
theyearsthewaypeopleusethesunandsolarpanelshavechanged.TheW.A.S.P.
Thermostat,orWeatherAutomatedSolarPoweredThermostat,isawonderfulthingto
haveifyouwanttosaveenergy,itturnsitselfonandoff!Thebreakthroughsneededfor
theW.A.S.P.areveryimportant,becauseitrunsonsolarenergysousingitwillnot
pollutetheair!Wewentthroughalotofstepstoinventthistechnology.Althoughthere
aremanyprosandconstotheW.A.S.PThermostat,itcanbeaveryusefulresource.


178UW.A.S.P.Thermostat

W.A.S.P.Thermostat
PresentTechnology
SolarPanels
Solarpanelsattractsunlightandturnitintoenergy.SolarPanelsaremadeof
photovoltaiccells.Thesecellsdirectlyturnsunlightintoenergy.Onebenefitofsolar
panelsisthattheydonotreleaseairpollution.Thathelpsbecauseitdoesnotdamage
Earthsatmosphere.
Thelimitationofsolarpanelsisthatitisnotalwayssunnyinsomeplaces.If
thereisnosunlightandstoredenergyinthepanelsrunsout,thenpeoplewillnothave
powerfortheirhomes.Solarpanelsarealsoexpensivetoinstallandpeopledonot
alwayslikethewaytheylookontheirhome.
WeatherDevices/Stations
Manypeopleuseweatherdevicestodetecttheweather.Someofthetoolsin
weatherstationsusedtodetectweatherarethermometers,anemometers,and
hygrometers.Thermometerstellthetemperatureofplaces.Hygrometersareusedto
detecthumidityintheair.Anemometerstellthewindspeedandwhatdirectionitis
blowing.Weatherstationsareusefulbecausetheytrackthewindspeed,temperature,
andthedirectionthewindisblowing.Knowingthisisusefulbecausepeoplecanuse
theinformationtobecomfortableinandoutoftheirhomes.Someproblemswith
weatherstationsarethattheycanbedifficulttouseandaresometimesinaccurate.


178UW.A.S.P.Thermostat

Thermostats
Thetechnologyusedtocontrolthetemperatureinsideabuildingisathermostat.
Peopleusethermostatsbyprogrammingittoacertaintemperature.Iftheair
temperatureisbelowthesettemperatureitwillturntheheatupandviceversaifitgets
hot.Thethermometerinthethermostathasmercurywhichrisesandturnsonthe
systemwhenitexpandstoacertainpoint.Otherthermostatsaremadewitha
bimetallicstripthatconnectsthecircuitandturnsonthesystem.
Alimitationistheyneedtobeawayfromsunlight.Alsotheyneedtobeina
placewherethehotairisgoingupandthecoldairgoesdown.Theyneedtobeaway
fromlightsthatcreatealotofheatbecauseitwillthinkthewholehouseisthat
temperature.
AcompanyinventedanewthermostatcalledTheNest.Thisisanewthermostat
technologybecauseyoucancontrolitfromanywhereinthehouseanditlearnsyour
settingssoitwillprogramitself.
History
Solarpanelshavealonghistoryandimprovedgreatlyovertheyears.Inthe7th
century,magnifyingglassusedtomakefireandburnthings.Later,ascientistEdmond
Becquerelfindsoutphotovoltaiceffectin1839.Thefirstpersontodescribesolarcellsis
CharlesFrittsandhedescribeditintheyearof1883.Intheyearof1954,Daryl
Chapin,CalvinFuller,andGeraldPearsonmadesolarcellsabletochangesuns
energy.ThefirsttimeU.Spaysmoneyforsolarenergyisin1977.Thepersonwho
madethefirstsolarpoweredobjectin1981isPaulMacCready.NationalRenewable


178UW.A.S.P.Thermostat

Energydevelopssolarcellsin1994tobeusedintheUnitedStates.In2002someof
thelargestsolarpanelsystemsbeganappearingintheUnitedStates.In2009Barack
Obamabeganreturningtaxmoneytopeoplewhousedsolarenergyorotherrenewable
resources.
FutureTechnology
ThetechnologythatwehaveinventedisW.A.S.PThermostat.W.A.S.P.
ThermostatstandsforWeatherAutomatedSolarPoweredThermostat.Itisasolar
poweredlearningthermostat.Thetechnologyismadeofphotovoltaiccellsthatarein
thesolarpanel.Thesolarpanelsarelocatedontheroofofthebuilding.Theenergyis
convertedbythesolarpanelstopowertheweatherstationandthermostat.Thesolar
panelsalsohaveaweatherstationattachedwhichhasahydrometer,ananemometer,
andathermometer.Thesolarpanelisconnectedtoapipewithwiresinit.Thepipe
protectsthewiresthatrunintothebuilding.Thebuildinghasathermostatinsideit.
Thethermostatcontrolsthetemperatureinthebuildingwhichrunsontheenergythe
solarpanelgivesit.
Thegoalofthetechnologyisforthethermostattochangetheinsidetemperature
basedonoutsideweather,sothepeopleinsidecanbecomfortable.Theweather
stationisimportantbecauseitdetectstheweatheroutsideandadjuststhethermostat
soitwillmaketheinsidetemperatureandhumiditystablewhilesavingenergy.


178UW.A.S.P.Thermostat

ImageofFutureTechnology:W.A.S.P.Thermostat:


178UW.A.S.P.Thermostat

Breakthroughs
Therearesomebreakthroughsneededforourinvention.Thebreakthroughsthat
areneededintheprojectisanobjectthatconnectsthethreecomponentswhicharethe
weatherstation,thethermostat,andthesolarpanelssothattheycouldallexchange
energywitheachother.Also,theprojectneedsathermostatthatisabletocontrolthe
temperaturebasedontheweather.Ifitcannotdothatthen,peoplearegoingtohaveto
changeiteverytimethetemperatureisnotright.Thatisthethingthatwearetryingto
improve.
DesignProcess
Whenwefirststartedbrainstorming,wehadanideaourideatocreateglasses
withmanyfeatures.Wewantedtodothatbecausethereweren'tthatmanyglasses
withfeaturesbeyondhavingpicturesonthesidesofthem.Whenwestartedonthat
weheardaboutGoogleGlass.Afterthatwestartedtodosomethingelsetonottothat
tonotremaketheiridea.
Ournextideawashurricaneproofhomeforprotectionandsafety.Wegotthat
ideafromourlasthurricanewhichiscalledHurricaneSandy.Therewasalotof
damagetohomes.Tonotgethitbythehurricaneatall,wewerethinkingabout
inventinganundergroundlairforhome.Butthenwethoughtthatithadtoomanyfactors
andwantedtofocusononething.Sowewenttohomeinsulationsincewewere
workingwithhomesanyway.Thepartsofhomeinsulationwewerefocusingonthe
windowsandwalls.


178UW.A.S.P.Thermostat

Thisiswhenwestartedresearchinghomeinsulation.Wewantedtomake
somethingthatwillmakelifeeasier.Then,wecameupwiththeideatomakestronger
insulation.Wewantedtomakeitsothatitcankeeppeoplesafeandmakeitharderto
break.Afteraweekortwo,werealizedthatitwasntasexcitingaswethoughtitwould
be.Therewastoomuchresearchtobedoneanditwasntthatinteresting.Thatswhen
wegottheideatomakeanautomaticheatingandcoolingsystem.Sincewedidntwant
topollutetheair,wemadeitrunonsolarenergy.Thisishowwegottosolarpanels
fromstarttofinish.
Consequences
TheW.A.S.P.Thermostatwillleadtomanybenefitsandwithafewnegatives.
Oneproisyoudonothavetochangethetemperatureallthetime.Thetemperaturein
thehouseisalwayscontrolled,makingitveryconvenient.TheW.A.S.P.Thermostat
pollutestheairless,solarenergyischeaperthanelectricityoverall,anditsavesenergy.
Mostofthepartsneededforthistechnologyarealreadyinvented.Thistechnologyis
onlyforcertaincustomers.Someconsaresolarpanelsaren'tveryattractiveonthe
roof.Also,theinstallationisverychallengingtoinstallandisexpensive.


178UW.A.S.P.Thermostat

Bibliography

"BestHomeWeatherStations."GoodHousekeeping.N.p.,n.d.Web.06Jan.2015.

"Home."Nest.N.p.,n.d.Web.07Jan.2015.

"HowIsSolarEnergyUsedToday."TurbineGeneratorAtom.N.p.,n.d.Web.06Jan.2015.

"HowSolarEnergyPanelsWork."YouTube.YouTube,n.d.Web.06Jan.2015.

"Solar."EIAEnergyKids.N.p.,n.d.Web.06Jan.2015.

"Thermostats."Energy.gov.N.p.,n.d.Web.06Jan.2015.

"Thermometers&WeatherStations."Thermometers&WeatherStations.N.p.,n.d.
Web.06Jan.2015.


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WebsiteGraphicPage#1of5

Effects:Thetitleofthepagepopsoutandthengoesintoplace.Thesuninthepicture
shinesbrighterandthendims.


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Effects:Theclockticksonthescreenandwithsound.Thesmokefromthebottom
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Effects:Asthecursormovestowardthethermostatthetemperatureincreaseand
furtherawayitdecreases.Theglassesrotate3D.


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Effects:Thearrowwillbreakthroughaperfectwalloverandoveragaincreatinga
crashingsoundlikeabowlingballhittingpins.Theweatherstationspins.


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Effects:Thehandwritesovertheprosandcons.Ifyouclickontheposteritwillsay
KeepCalmandGoGreen.Theplugwillsizzleifthecursormovesoverit.