Students will work in teams to accomplish research and present findings and recommendations about solar thermal as a viable renewable energy industry. The IPRO team will address the following goals... Show moreStudents will work in teams to accomplish research and present findings and recommendations about solar thermal as a viable renewable energy industry. The IPRO team will address the following goals and tasks: Research existing solar thermal products in the marketplace. Determine geographic locations worldwide where solar thermal is currently a viable alternative to fossil fuel consuming heating systems. Outline the history of solar thermal development in the United States and other world markets. Research the history of and current technology available for solar thermal installations. Rate various systems by efficiency, cost benefit, physical size required for heat production, ease of operation, durability and other criteria determined significant by the team. Outline construction and design criteria for installation in new and existing buildings. Using an existing building on the IIT campus, develop a plan for installation of solar thermal to produce heat and domestic hot water for the building. Determine how much fossil fuel consumption would be avoided through the installation of a solar thermal solution. Determine the approximate payback of the new solar thermal system based on today's energy, solar thermal system costs and construction costs. Illustrate examples of solar thermal installations on existing and new buildings to determine the effect solar thermal will have on the overall architecture of a building. Develop methodologies for incorporating solar thermal into the design of existing and new buildings which is aesthetically appropriate. Show less