Several companies have been developing technologies which enables see-thru windows to be converted into solar panels. SolarWindow Technology has developed means to generate electricity using a spray-on photosensitive film, EnSol’s metal nanoparticle-based spray-on product produces solar energy, RSi’s photovoltaic glass and Octillion’s NanoPower window are few to name products that help produce clean electricity. Now, New Energy Technologies, based in Maryland, has also squeezed in the race to develop next-gen energy generating windows.
Electrical power is generated on see-through glass when New Energy’s SolarWindow coatings are sprayed onto surfaces using commercially available technologies. The company has recently unveiled a 12 X 12 inch prototype, getting the product closer to commercialization.
Until now, solar panels have remained opaque with the prospect of creating a glass window capable of generating electricity limited by the use of metals and various expensive processes which block visibility and prevent light from passing through glass surfaces. The electricity can be generated from both natural and artificial light sources.
New Energy’s ability to generate electricity on see-thru glass is made possible by making use of the world’s smallest working organic solar cells, developed by Dr. Xiaomei Jiang at the University of South Florida. The coating measure less than 1/10th the thickness of ‘thin’ films (only 1/1000th the thickness of human hair). World’s smallest functional solar cells, measuring less than 1/4 the size of a grain of rice, and shown to successfully produce electricity are being used. The efficiency is still not precisely known but is estimated to be 300% more than common rooftop panels.
Via: Gizmag
