Willis Tower, or formerly Sears Tower, is all set to don its green attire by integrating a pilot solar electric glass project on the south side windows of its 56th floor. This in effect will transform the skyscraper into a giant solar plant with 2 MW capacity, which is almost equal to the power generated by a 10-acre field of solar panels.
This innovative type of high power density photovoltaic glass, developed by Pythagoras Solar, will replace the conventional windows of the floor. According to the company, the new glasses incorporate an advanced hybrid technology that inserts a typical monocrystalline silicon solar cell horizontally between two layers of glass to form an individual tile. A reflective plastic prism imbued inside the tile will direct the sunlight onto the solar panels, while at the same time allow diffused daylight inside the building. This will not only conveniently reduce the intensity of direct heat gain, but also produce the same energy as a conventional solar panel. So there will be energy efficiency in the case of direct heating and cost effectiveness in the case of cooling.
Moreover, across the major cities, the skyscrapers with small rooftops can be turned into huge vertical solar farms, by simply substituting their windows with these uniquely contrived solar glasses.
Source: Inhabitat
