Dynamic solar windows 

The energy department funded research and development, a group of National Renewable Energy Laboratory scientists that made breakthrough in solar windows. The scientists invented solar windows that use thermochromism. This is  the property of substances to change color through the change in temperature. This changes from transparent to tinted  and changes sunlight to electricity in a tinted state.
 

SwitchGlaze is the latest invention 

The innovation, named SwitchGlaze, could be the next commercial successes from Energy Department national laboratory research. The SwitchGlaze team searched the market potential of their new technology through Technology-to-Market’s Energy I-Corps. This is a training program to accelerate offtake of DOE technologies. With support from the Building Technologies Office (BTO), the researchers learned the landscape for solar windows, and assessing how to best transition their technology to the marketplace. While this gives something fresh and dynamic in the market, solar windows have been around for decades. This was followed by semi-transparent designs when thin film solar technology took hold. The latest technologies included fully-transparent, infrared light-absorbing designs. Below are a few facts about solar windows and it’s innovation.
 

Facts about this new solar window

1. It looks like an ordinary window. They appear ordinary, but the technology absorbs some sunlight as it’s transmitted through the window and converts into electricity. The windows acts like solar cells to give a flexible solution for modern building design. 

2. It “switches” with changes in temperature. The windows are created to tint  at warmer temperatures. After the switch to a tinted state occurs, it absorb and convert sunlight into electricity the same way conventional rooftop solar panels do. A switchable solar window has the potential for higher efficiency because it switches to be darker.

3. It’s thermochromic. It uses temperature-triggered thermochromic tinting. This permits partial absorption of sunlight and transforms the windows into efficient cells. It converts sunlight into electricity at efficiency of 11.3%. Conventional rooftop solar panels are about 20% efficient, with a theoretical maximum of 32%. 

4. It’s economical. Adding SwitchGlaze solar cell layers to regular windows is expected to be a fraction of the cost that could be cancelled out by solar energy payback. Because of their ability to tint, it could save on building cooling bills in the summer.

5. It’s an evolving technology. Building design is evolving from static to dynamic. This technology responds to sunlight to improve building efficiency and give on-site energy generation. Buildings of the future will be more energy-efficient, comfortable, and durable as dynamic technologies are integrated. SwitchGlaze is in the proof-of-concept stage before it will be commercially available. 
 

If you want to find out what solar panels are right for you, go to HahaSmart.com and try our price checker tool. You can see how much you can save over the next 20 years by going solar, and we can help find local solar installers who can help. For more information relating to going solar, don't forget to visit our solar blog section for more handy guides and articles.