Solar power is a growing industry that will continue to develop in the future. Solar Power Windows are the next step into that future. While companies have been experimenting with solar powered window panels for years, there has recently been a breakthrough. Companies have attempted to create both see through solar power windows and opaque solar windows. According to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, previous methods at see through windows reported at only 1% efficiency, whereas opaque windows report at 20%. Luckily several companies have been working hard to develop a new concept which will promise maximum efficiency and provide a traditional window look while allowing light in.
The new solar window concept looks past traditional and familiar solar methods that are widely used in rooftop installation. The new process involves using a liquid photovoltaic conductor which is painted onto all the window panes. Like in the case of a skyscraper, the paint is applied to all of the windows and used to create maximum efficiency spread out throughout all windows combined, rather than looking at the performance of each individual window. Another very similar method is to apply a film, rather than a paint, which still allows 90% of light to stream through the window, while the film absorbs solar power from the light as it passes through.
Standard rooftop systems work in a very different manner. Instead of the panels being spread out over the entire surface of the roof, there are a few panels in a very congested area. The new solar window method takes a very different approach, working away from conventional methods, and maximizes spread for more efficient solar power accumulation.
These concepts are still in finishing stages and are likely to be released to the public later in 2018.
Are Solar Windows the Future?
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