A UC MERCED ENGINEERING STUDENT SHOWS OFF THE MODEL HE AND HIS COLLEAGUES HAVE NAMED “CHARLIE” THAT HELPED THEM DEVELOP THE DAYLIGHTING PROJECT. GAZETTE PHOTO BY JILL BALLINGER The sparkle and shine of California’s official gem and mineral collection got a little boost, courtesy of the UC Merced School of Engineering. Researchers unveiled the SoL Illuminations project at the California State Mining and Mineral Museum (CSMMM) last Friday.

Students, under the direction of Dr. Roland Winston, developed the hybrid solar natural daylight system. The prototype brings concentrated sunlight into a building and then integrates it into a LED lighting system at a fraction of the cost of electricity. Just like a hybrid car, the system can switch over to electrical light when needed.

The project has been in development for several years. Last Friday, students from UC Merced’s engineering and business schools presented it to a packed house at CSMMM. They are now taking the prototype and developing a business plan to make the technology ready for mass consumption.

THE MARIPOSA COUNTY FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY CHRISTMAS HOME TOUR WELCOMED HUNDREDS OF VISITORS LAST WEEKEND FOR ITS 18TH ANNUAL EVENT. ABOVE THE MARIPOSA MUSEUM AND HISTORY CENTER WAS INCLUDED IN THE TOUR THIS YEAR, WITH FEATURES FROM HISTORIC CHRISTMAS COLLECTIONS. GAZETTE PHOTO BY JILL BALLINGER “The potential is basically limitless,” one marketing student told the crowd after the prototype was demonstrated.

Yang Li, a senior who has served as costbenefit analysis leader for the project, is excited to get things off the ground. “Our hope is to put this technology into the public eye and given them a sense of potential applications,” he said. Some of those applications are similar to the CSMMM use, as LED light doesn’t damage things like minerals, art or museum-quality documents.

An additional benefit is the increased productivity of employees or students who are exposed to more natural daylight. Using natural daylight can lead to healthier work environments, increase in productivity and sales. Research indicates that people prefer to work, shop and learn in spaces illuminated with natural light.

There is now a patent pending on the system and research continues. Officials at CSMMM are thrilled to be a part of it. “It’s a perfect fit for our museum,” park ranger Randy Bolt said during the presentation. “Getting more students to a practical application is always hard. We try to do as much as we can.”

The hardware for the system was installed by APG Solar of Atwater. The company has been working with Dr. Winston and the UC for three years. So far, it completed the design build of the tracker manifold, constructed the platform and plumbed the fiber optic cords to the top of the display booth.

S.A. Davis, of UC Merced, said the whole process helps students, the environment and the museum. She said each new day brings new possibilities.

“Here comes the sun, and what can we do with it?” Davis asked rhetorically.

Mariposa County Supervisor Jim Allen attended the event and was impressed. “It’s amazing,” he said of the project. “We’re so fortunate to have UC Merced working with Mariposa County.”

Supervisor Kevin Cann was also on hand and said this is just the beginning to the kinds of partnerships the county can have with the school. “It shows how Mariposa is perfectly located between Yosemite and Merced. It’s great to see how Mariposa is positioned to take advantage of that.”