One company is integrating tiny solar cells into glass.
The sides of a towering skyscraper are covered with windows that glint in the sun on a clear day. Imagine if all those windows could be used to collect energy.
It’s not just a fantasy. Several companies are creating windows that convert solar energy into electricity. Ferdinand Grapperhaus is Co-founder and CEO of a Dutch company called Physee.
Grapperhaus: “We have integrated solar cells in the edges of the glass.”
The cells are tiny, so they do not change how a building looks. He says this is important, because people are often reluctant to alter a building’s design.
Grapperhaus: “We don’t want to compromise on those designs but we do want to add functionality to the glass.”
For now, each window produces just enough power for small tasks, such as charging a phone. But Grapperhaus says his company is developing new technology that aims to triple the energy produced.
The windows alone will still be unable to power a whole building. But Grapperhaus thinks that’s ok. He says energy consumption in big buildings is a huge problem and no single technology will solve it alone.
Grapperhaus: “I foresee it will always be a combination of different functionalities that make a building fully energy neutral.”
Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy/ChavoBart Digital Media.