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Joshua Pearce

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Joshua M. Pearce
NationalityAmerican, Canadian
Alma materThe Pennsylvania State University
Known forsolar photovoltaics, open source hardware, distributed recycling and additive manufacturing, resilient food
Scientific career
Fieldsphotovoltaics, open-source-appropriate technology, materials engineering, protocrystallinity, open-source hardware, electrical engineering
InstitutionsUniversity of Western Ontario, Michigan Tech, Queen's University
Doctoral advisorChristopher R. Wronski
WebsiteAppropedia User Page

Joshua M. Pearce is an academic engineer at Western University[1] and a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.[2] He is known for his work on protocrystallinity, photovoltaic technology, agrivoltaics, open-source-appropriate technology, and open-source hardware including RepRap 3D printers and recyclebots.

Dr. Pearce received his Ph.D. at The Pennsylvania State University, where his work on protocrystallinity helped develop low-cost amorphous silicon solar photovoltaic technology.[3] His solar research and outreach[4] continues.[5][6] For example, his research group published a levelized cost of electricity study[7] on solar energy showed solar electricity was economically competitive with fossil fuels over wide geographic regions.[8][9] and showed the value of solar (VOS) often exceeds the net metering rate.[10][11] This makes solar attractive especially over underutilized areas like parking lots as pointed out by Vox.[12] He showed 1% of Canada's agricultural land converted to agrivoltaics would rid the national grid if carbon emissions while increasing food.[13] This can be done with animals as he showed even shepherds could make a good living taking care of 'solar sheep'.[14] The CBC has quoted him discussing this large potential of agrivoltaics to provide lower cost electricity while increasing food supplies.[15] His research into bidirectional reflectance distribution function modeling[16] of reflectors showed potential solar systems output increases of 30%.[17] His research supports solar canopies for parking lots,[18][19] floatovoltaics and aquavoltaics.[20] In addition he promotes the DIY[21] and maker movements,[22] with the release of To Catch the Sun as open access.[23]

He is also a vocal advocate of an open-source approach to technical development.[24] For his work related to open-source nanotechnology,[25] Ars Technica compared him to American software freedom activist Richard Stallman.[26] He applied open-source 3-D printing and electronics to scientific equipment design,[27] where he has claimed both superior innovation and lower costs.[28][29] Reviewing his book Open-Source Lab, 3-D Printing Industry wrote, "This is a manual that every scientist should read and it holds a message so powerful and disruptive that the Anarchist Cookbook is a fairy tale in comparison."[30] This work has extended to making frugal biomedical equipment and aids.[31][32][33] For example, the Globe and Mail highlighted an open source 3D printable walker[34] as well as a CTV story on an open source surgical fracture table[35] developed in his lab.

His research has shown that printing household items with a RepRap is less costly[36] and better for the environment[37] than purchasing conventionally manufactured goods. Similarly, his group developed the recyclebot, a waste plastic extruder, which drops the cost of 3D printing filament from $35/kg to ten cents per kg while making recycling even more environmentally beneficial.[38][39] He also helped develop the concept of fused granular fabrication (FGF) where shredded waste plastic is directly converted to products with the company re:3D.[40]

In 2013 his group released an open-source 3D printer capable of printing in steel, which cost less than US$1,200.[41][42] in order to encourage more rapid technological development according to Scientific American.[43] This cost reduction was significant as the New York Times reported commercial metal printers at the time cost over US$500,000.[44]

He further developed inexpensive methods such as SODIS to disinfect drinking water in the developing world, using sunlight, water bottles, and salt.[45] He has called for corporate death penalties for industries that kill more people than they employ.[46] The MIT Sloan Management Review reported that Dr. Pearce has combined many of his research areas developing solar powered 3-D printers to drive sustainable development.[47]

Since his 2015 book with David Denkberger Feeding Everyone No Matter What: Managing Food Security After Global Catastrophe, he has worked on alternative food/ resilient food sources. For example, the New York Times commented on his work to feed astronauts through a complex process of converting asteroids to food.[48] Similarly, the Toronto Star ran a story[49] on his work to recycle waste plastic into protein bars as well as the use of an agrovoltaic agrotunnel[50] to grow net zero energy food indoors year round. They quoted his graduate student: "“He is not content with merely advancing scientific knowledge; he is driven by a deep-seated desire to use that knowledge and push the boundaries to improve the lives of people everywhere,” she said. “He embodies the spirit of turning impossible dreams into reality, into feasible solutions.”

Bibliography

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References

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  1. ^ "Western News - Bringing open-source, sustainable tech to the fore". Western News. September 9, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  2. ^ "The Canadian Academy of Engineering / L'Académie canadienne du génie". Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  3. ^ Pearce, Joshua M. (2004). "Control of Staebler-Wronski defects in hydrogenated amorphous silicon for the de". Adsabs.harvard.edu. Bibcode:2004PhDT........88P. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. ^ "Costs and benefits of solar panels | Expert Interview with Joshua Pearce". verifythis.com. August 17, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  5. ^ "Efficiency breakthrough in solar thermal cells - Cogeneration & On-Site Power Production". Cospp.com. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  6. ^ Herman K. Trabish (December 7, 2011). "New Study: Solar Grid Parity Is Here Today". Greentech Media. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  7. ^ Branker, K.; Pathak, M. J. M.; Pearce, J. M. (December 1, 2011). "A review of solar photovoltaic levelized cost of electricity". Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 15 (9): 4470–4482. Bibcode:2011RSERv..15.4470B. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2011.07.104. hdl:1974/6879. S2CID 73523633.
  8. ^ "Cost of solar falling according to Queen's study". CTVNews. December 7, 2011. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  9. ^ "New Study: Solar Grid Parity Is Here Today". www.greentechmedia.com. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  10. ^ Hayibo, Koami Soulemane; Pearce, Joshua M. (March 1, 2021). "A review of the value of solar methodology with a case study of the U.S. VOS". Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 137: 110599. Bibcode:2021RSERv.13710599H. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2020.110599. ISSN 1364-0321.
  11. ^ "Your Neighbor's Solar Panels Are Secretly Saving You Money". Popular Mechanics. February 11, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  12. ^ Chakraborty, Ranjani (September 27, 2023). "How to fight climate change with parking lots". Vox. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  13. ^ Corp, Pelmorex (April 25, 2023). "How just 1% of farmland could meet one third of Canada's energy needs". The Weather Network. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  14. ^ "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  15. ^ Stephenson, Amanda (December 25, 2024). "How agrivoltaics is marrying food production with green energy in Alberta". CBC. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  16. ^ Andrews, R. W.; Pollard, A.; Pearce, J. M. (November 1, 2015). "Photovoltaic System Performance Enhancement With Nontracking Planar Concentrators: Experimental Results and Bidirectional Reflectance Function (BDRF)-Based Modeling". IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics. 5 (6): 1626–1635. doi:10.1109/JPHOTOV.2015.2478064. ISSN 2156-3381. S2CID 40828010.
  17. ^ "Researchers Discover How to Shine More Sunlight on Solar Panels, Increase Output By 30% | IHS Electronics360". electronics360.globalspec.com. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  18. ^ "Climate Brief: Parking lot solar arrays are a smart, green idea; Himalayan glaciers shrinking fast". Daily Kos. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  19. ^ "Solar Parking Lots Are a Win-Win Energy Idea. Why Aren't They the Norm?". CNET. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  20. ^ "Floating solar farms: How 'floatovoltaics' could provide power without taking up valuable real estate". NBC News. February 11, 2019. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  21. ^ "You Can Make Your Own Solar Panels, and It's Easier Than You'd Think". CNET. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  22. ^ Dougherty, Dale (October 30, 2020). "Make:cast - Make Anything with Open Source Projects". Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  23. ^ Grafman, Lonny; Pearce, Joshua (January 1, 2021). "To Catch the Sun". To Catch the Sun.
  24. ^ Pearce, JM (September 14, 2012). "Podcast Interview". Science. 337 (6100). Sciencemag.org: 1303–4. Bibcode:2012Sci...337.1303P. doi:10.1126/science.1228183. PMID 22984059. S2CID 44722829. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  25. ^ Timmer, John (November 21, 2012). "Stallman's got company: Researcher wants nanotech patent moratorium". Ars Technica. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  26. ^ Pearce, Joshua M. (2012). "Make nanotechnology research open-source". Nature. 491 (7425): 519–521. Bibcode:2012Natur.491..519P. doi:10.1038/491519a. PMID 23172198. S2CID 4366790.
  27. ^ Pearce, Joshua M. (September 14, 2012). "Building Research Equipment with Free, Open-Source Hardware". Science. 337 (6100): 1303–1304. Bibcode:2012Sci...337.1303P. doi:10.1126/science.1228183. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 22984059. S2CID 44722829.
  28. ^ "3D Printing Brings the Science Lab to Your Backyard". Popular Mechanics. September 13, 2012. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  29. ^ McMurtrie, Beth (March 29, 2013). "Lab Equipment Made With 3-D Printers Could Cut Costs by 97% - Percolator - The Chronicle of Higher Education". Chronicle.com. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  30. ^ Sher, Davide. "Prof. Pearce's "Open-Source Lab" Unleashes the Power of 3D Printed Lab Equipment". 3D Printing Industry. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  31. ^ Isha, Bhargava. "Need a walker? These Western University engineers have made it easier, cheaper to build your own". CBC.
  32. ^ "Study at Western University on low cost auto injector". london.ctvnews.ca. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  33. ^ "Western University helps develop 3D-printed surgical table". London. July 16, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  34. ^ "Frugal innovation". The Globe and Mail. November 24, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  35. ^ Varley, Kristylee (July 16, 2022). "Western University helps develop 3D-printed surgical table". CTVNews. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  36. ^ Study: At-home 3-D printing could save consumers 'thousands' - CNN, 7/31/2013
  37. ^ 3D printers use less energy than traditional manufacturing - Gigaom - available http://gigaom.com/2013/10/03/3d-printers-use-less-energy-than-traditional-manufacturing/ Archived November 28, 2021, at the Wayback Machine 3/10/2013.
  38. ^ Michigan Tech Prof Says You Can Save Big With Milk Jug Recycling For 3D Printing - CBS 3/5/2014
  39. ^ Need 3D printer filament? Got milk? - Ars Technica
  40. ^ Dankovich, Cali (April 16, 2019). ""Gigabot X" 3-D printer helps find new uses for recycled plastic". www.uppermichiganssource.com. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  41. ^ Loose screw? 3-D printer may soon forge you a new one - NBC News
  42. ^ Testing your metal- Newsweek
  43. ^ "New 3-D Metal Printer is Open Source and Affordable". Scientific American.
  44. ^ An Inexpensive Way to Print Out Metal Parts - The New York Times, 2013/12/10/
  45. ^ Cuda, Gretchen (May 8, 2012). "Recipe For Safer Drinking Water? Add Sun, Salt And Lime : The Salt". NPR. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  46. ^ "Coal and tobacco industries kill more Americans each year than they employ". Big Think. February 24, 2019. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  47. ^ Unruh, Gregory (February 12, 2016). "The Revolution Will Be Customized (and Recycled and Solar-Powered)". MIT Sloan Management Review. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  48. ^ Scoles, Sarah (October 3, 2024). "The Food of Space Travel Could Be Based on Rocks". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  49. ^ Oved, Marco Chown (April 25, 2024). "Protein bars from recycled plastic bottles? An indoor farm on wheels? Western prof gets innovative with green tech". Toronto Star. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  50. ^ "Agrivoltaic agrotunnel". Appropedia, the sustainability wiki. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  51. ^ "Create, Share, and Save Money Using Open-Source Projects". Appropedia, the sustainability wiki. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  52. ^ Grafman, Lonny; Pearce, Joshua (January 1, 2021). "To Catch the Sun". To Catch the Sun.
  53. ^ graphicheart. "Accueil". To Catch The Sun (in French). Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  54. ^ graphicheart. "Casa". To Catch The Sun (in European Spanish). Retrieved December 20, 2023.
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