Three companies in the US and the UK are working on coatings that turn windows into solar generators of electricity, saving building owners money and reducing carbon emissions.
Tag Archives: solar power
15
Aug
Aug
SolarWindow™ window coating generates electricity from light, both from the sun, and artificial light, as well. It is extremely versatile, able to be printed onto glass, plastic, or even paper, making it easy to install this wonder material in many places. This coating sets itself apart from others we have featured, as it can be…
17
Nov
Nov
The fascinating cleantech evolution of Masdar City continues! Pushing the limits of urban design and community building, Masdar City is pressing forward in its pioneering quest for the highest quality of life with the lowest carbon footprint. Setting a new international precedent for sustainable urban planning, Boston-based CBT is presenting its award-winning Detailed Master Plan…
13
Sep
Sep
Solar shingles are now gaining increasing traction in the renewable energy landscape. They are architecturally distinctive, more so than traditional rooftop photovoltaic panels. Solar shingles provide an integrated building product providing both roofing security and solar electricity in one package. As PV Magazine’s Charles W. Thurston has stated, “The nascent field of U.S. solar shingle manufacturers…
29
Aug
Aug
Alyssa Craft and Jesse Stafford completed a cheap off-grid cabin-add-on to the trailer they are living in while setting up their homestead in the Western US. The cabin was built to allow them to heat the air around the trailer and prevent the plumbing, and themselves, from freezing during the snowy winter months. The majority…
29
Jun
Jun
NEXT Energy Technologies has developed a scalable solar window coating that allows commercial glass products to produce clean energy from the sun. The product pays for itself in a year and provides clean energy for up to 30 years. “It is certainly not an overstatement to describe this technology as a game-changer with far-reaching implications…
18
Apr
Apr
Masdar City, near Abu Dhabi, has set its sights on being the most sustainable city on the planet, and it is well on the way to meeting that goal. Development started in 2008 and is expected to continue for at least the next five years, with 40,000 people expected to live within its boundaries, and…
21
Mar
Mar
Dubai-based Emirates Insolaire will supply about 12,000 solar glass panels to the Copenhagen International School in Denmark, boosting the facility’s production of clean electricity. Emirates Insolaire produces and distributes colored solar glass and colored PV modules using what is called Kromatix technology. This technology allows solar PV to be integrated into the architectural design of all types…
14
Mar
Mar
What if glass windows could produce enough electricity to power the energy needs of an entire building? This is precisely the goal of photovoltaic glass. The principle is simple and has been around for several years now: it is a solar panel system integrated into double glazing. It works just like a traditional solar collector…
04
Nov
Nov
Last week San Diego Gas & Electric warned distributed energy enthusiasts it expects to reach caps on net metering in the summer of 2016. According to pv-magazine, SDG&E’s numbers show that existing installations and pending applications take up 74% of available capacity in the program. This opens the door to what “net metering 2.0” might look…
27
Oct
Oct
I received this news and Zimbabwe photo yesterday from Steve Katsaros, founder of Nokero, a pioneering Denver company that makes great solar lights and solar light bulbs that replace poisonous kerosene lamps that are so prevalent where people have no access to electricity. Katsaros had very good news to share: My colleagues and I have…
01
Oct
Oct
The Friends School of Portland in Maine is the first Passive House modular school building in the state, and only the third in the country. The neighboring OceanView Retirement Community is donating solar panels for the school to use, making the facility net zero energy (NZE). “One of our core values is stewardship and we…
13
Sep
Sep
Team Orange County’s entry into this year’s Solar Decathlon addresses some of the issues found in the Southern California home market, including the use of solar energy and landscaping without water. Casa del Sol, as their entry is called, is inspired by the resilient and diurnal characteristics of the California poppy. It is designed with…
09
Sep
Sep
Smartflower POP+ enables anyone to start their own personal energy revolution. The integrated power storage unit makes this all-in-one solar power system – the only one of its kind in the world – up to 100% independent of the grid day and night. How does smartflower work? With the first rays of the sun,…
07
Sep
Sep
One of the teams in this year’s Solar Decathlon, is from New York City’s College of Technology. This team focused on the issue of providing disaster housing that can be easily transported and stacked, if needed, to provide a high density of housing in a small footprint. Team DURA (Diverse, Urban, Resilient, Adaptable) created a…
05
Sep
Sep
Solar power windows that can generate electricity from sunshine will soon be available from two companies. The cost more but pay for themselves in 1 year.
27
Apr
Apr
DC sources including solar and wind turbines, saves money and maximizes efficiency.
24
Apr
Apr
Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) is bringing science fiction to life, launching two demonstration projects to create and test a carbon-free, power-to-gas system for the first time ever in the U.S. The technology converts electricity into gaseous energy and could provide North America with a large-scale, cost-effective solution for storing excess energy produced from renewable…
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