A California-based company has unveiled what it claims is the world’s largest fully transparent photovoltaic window.
Measuring 101.6 cm by 152.4 cm (3.3 feet x 4.9 feet), the power-generating window moves the glass industry closer to developing full-scale solar-powered facades. “The combination of highest quality aesthetics, power generation, and integration with the glass supply chain is a game changer in the push towards designing Net Zero buildings,” says Next Energy Technologies.
Devices called organic photovoltaics (OPV) employ organic semiconductors to harness solar energy to produce electricity. Unlike other semiconductors, carbon-based semiconductors can capture light in the ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) spectrums while still letting visible light through. This is not possible with other solar semiconductors. The transition to OPV has a profound impact on a window.
OPV technology offers several advantages, including transparency and consistent efficiency in high-angle, low-light, and high-temperature conditions. It utilizes inks made from readily available, low-cost, earth-abundant materials while enabling continuous improvements in efficiency, transparency, and colour tuning. Additionally, OPV eliminates heavy metals and toxic byproducts, making it a more sustainable alternative.
“Next’s proprietary transparent organic photovoltaic (OPV) coating can transform commercial windows into clean energy-generating facades, making buildings more sustainable and resilient and alleviating strain on the grid,” said the firm in a statement.
The company says that nearly half of global greenhouse gas emissions are from buildings, so their OPV innovation could one day go a long way to alleviating the problem. Next says: "Buildings are evolving from consumers of energy to conservators of energy, and we plan to be a part of the solution."