For decades, generating solar power was about placing big black solar panels on your roof. What if you could generate electricity by harnessing invisible light filtering through your windows?
That's the promise of solar windows, a cutting-edge technology that could change the way we build sustainable infrastructure and generate electricity in the future.
The technology was developed by MIT researchers into a company, Ubiquitous Energy, and turned into a solar window product called UE Power. Ubiquitous Energy says the fully transparent solar panels are "the world's first electricity generator, an aesthetically pleasing alternative to traditional windows."
Traditional solar panels are designed to capture every photon of sunlight that falls on their surface. But UE Power allows visible photons to pass through the glass, capturing invisible light, especially ultraviolet and infrared waves. This invisible light is then converted into electricity, directed by tiny wires coming out of windows and connected to the building's wires, much like a normal solar system. The result is a piece of glass that looks like an ordinary window, but can produce energy.
© Provided by CNET Ubiquitous Energy's solar window technology, known as UE Power, captures infrared and ultraviolet light while letting visible light the other way. Energy that is everywhere"The magic of transparent solar is that we can integrate solar technology into existing products because you don't have to see it," said Susan Stone, CEO of Ubiquitous Energy. "It's like any other solar system, but looks vertical, not horizontal."
The company has deployed EU energy at 12 pilot facilities, including Michigan State University and its headquarters in Redwood, California.
The panels are now small -- about 14 by 20 inches -- but the company is making plans to build its own manufacturing facility to make floor-to-ceiling glass solar panels for commercial applications. Stone says commercial panels cost 30-40% more than traditional "passive" glass.
While it's not yet possible to buy solar windows for your home, the company has partnered with glass maker Andersen Windows to sell panels for home use.
© CNET Ubiquitous Energy has several pilot facilities around the world, including at Michigan State University (small box shown here on the balcony). Energy that is everywhereBecause they only capture a fraction of the light emitted by the sun, they are more efficient than traditional solar panels. Stone says their technology is about 20% more efficient than best-in-class solar panels. But unlike those panels, which need to be installed in a certain way, Ubiquitous Energy says its product can be placed anywhere you place regular glass.
In the short term, this means homes and office buildings that can generate their own electricity and reduce their dependence on the electricity grid. In the future, said Stone, the technology could be used to create smart windows that power their own sensors.
"For example, one family's house can be given the opportunity to respond to its environment," he said. Sensors that tell you "Raining, close windows" or "Hot inside, cool outside, open windows for mechanical ventilation".
Going forward, Ubiquitous is also evaluating applications outside of residential and commercial buildings.
"One of my favorite places to put solar power is a cell phone battery," says Stone. “It would be nice if all the cars parked in that parking lot could generate electricity.
"Where would you put solar energy if you didn't have to see it? »
To learn more about solar windows, check out this week's episode of The Future, embedded at the top of this article.
