Page 24 - Green Builder Magazine January 2016 Digital Edition
P. 24
BUILDING SCIENCE
On the Horizon
W HAT IF ALL THE GLASS SURFACES of all the
world’s skyscrapers could generate clean
electricity? One company, SolarWindow
Technologies, has developed the concept into
a marketable product: a transparent, energy-generating coating
that can be installed on glass and plastic.
Organic photovoltaic cells, which consist of active layers and
conducting layers, have been engineered to absorb light in the
UV and near-infrared spectrums but allow visible light to pass
through. Unlike conventional solar cells, these organic PV cells
don’t require direct rays of light to function; they even work in
the shade or under artificial light. Consequently, SolarWindow
can be applied to all four sides of a building. The flexible veneers
can also be applied to existing windows.
Food Security. The University of Buffalo team grew several CREDIT: THOMAS KELSEY, U.S. DOE SOLAR DECATHLON
varieties of tomatoes in their project home’s “GroWlarium,” along CREDIT: SOLARWINDOW TECHNOLOGIES
with herbs, flowers and other veggies.
The SolarWindow Technologies team, led by Dr. Scott
281-square-foot dry module relax area. The building envelope Hammond, worked with NREL through a Cooperative Research
is constructed with structural insulated panels (SIPs), two high- and Development Grant to develop SolarWindow.
-performance sliding glass doors and high-performance fixed
windows. Another 1,440 square feet of shaded exterior deck extend Though not commercially available yet, the company has
the living space. issued a number of “forward-looking statements” regarding
its product. Among them, it claims the technology has the
In cold weather, plants can be started inside the 320-square-foot potential for a one-year payback, and that one 50-story building
GRoWlarium. A canopy covers and shades the enclosed portion of can generate 50 times the energy of a similarly sized building
the house and serves as a trellis for plants. Rolling planters can be equipped with rooftop solar array. Rather than building a new
wheeled outdoors for the summer. manufacturing facility, SolarWindow Technologies plans to license
the technology to other companies that already manufacture
Montante Solar and SolarCity are among the project’s sponsors, and glass and/or windows. The initial target is commercial windows
the home also features an active solar array: a 7-kW, 24-panel PV system. for skyscrapers and other commercial buildings, but eventually,
With a rated efficiency of 17.2 percent, the array will produce 9 MWh per the SolarWindow coating will be available for many types of
year, almost twice as much energy as the house consumes. A four-zone windows, curtain walls, and other surfaces.
HVAC system works on an as-needed basis to condition space within
the house, and an energy recovery ventilator improves efficiency. GB Learn more: HTTP://SOLARWINDOW.COM
22 GREEN BUILDER January/February 2016 www.greenbuildermedia.com
