Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Campus

Ring my bell

On May 23, 160 primary school students from Delft participated in an innovative project to build solar powered doorbells.
The Solar Bell campaign is an initiative of TU Delft’s Green Village which is headed by Future Energy Systems Professor Ad van Wijk.

br />


The common doorbell uses a transformer and consumes an average of 50 kWh of electricity per year. “The transformer is always on looking for someone to push the bell, but in reality it only gets used something like one hour during a year,” said Van Wijk. He estimates that about 10 billion kWh per are wasted by doorbells alone, which equates to less than one percent energy efficiency. The Solar Bell initiative contends that if every European household switched to a solar powered doorbell the transformer would be obsolete and two fewer coal-fired power stations would be needed.



Van Wijk explained that the classical way of thinking would call for a large solar cell to create the energy to power the transformer. But he said it’s more than just producing energy. By placing a small cell directly on the bell it conserves energy and improves the entire process.



A small company has been formed by two students to take the project forward. Together with the Green Village they plan to produce and sell the doorbells to schools and courses that teach people how to build them. “The transition to sustainable energy systems can start small and the doorbell is a great example of that,” stated Van Wijk.  

Editor Redactie

Do you have a question or comment about this article?

delta@tudelft.nl

Comments are closed.