California-based organic photovoltaic (OPV) start-up Next Energy Technologies has unveiled what it claims to be the world’s largest fully transparent organic PV window.
The 101.6 cm x 152.4 cm laminated transparent power-generating window was produced with the company’s pilot production line.
The window is built with a substrate, a transparent OPV layer, an edge seal, a busbar, a junction box and cover glass.
Next Energy uses automated slot-die coating manufacturing techniques to apply its proprietary OPV directly onto glass. The company’s coatings are laid on the glass, and a laser is used to scribe the OPV layer before laminating it. “Our highly refined process is a versatile deposition technique in which a solution is delivered onto a substrate via a narrow slot positioned close to the surface,” the company explained. Glass fabricators can add the slot-die process to their existing manufacturing capabilities.
“This milestone is further evidence to an industry hungry for a solution that our combination of OPV coatings and advanced manufacturing processing is working, scaling, and can be rapidly deployed,” said Daniel Emmett, Co-Founder, Executive Chairman, and CEO of NEXT. “It’s a proof point that builds high confidence in our path to enabling 152 cm x 304 cm [for] commercial production.”
Last year, the company demonstrated 68 cm x 89 cm OPV windows that were claimed to offset between 20% and 25% of the energy load of a typical commercial building, “The windows also absorb and convert infrared light, reducing the building’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) demands,” the company said at the time.
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Had to dig through their website to find the efficiency, it’s 3.5%. Best case scenario that’s 75 watts per panel. Making that cost effective is a stretch …
For massive glass-covered buildings, the output is probably quite OK. Then add the IR blocking and it’s certainly better than regular windows.
I think the savings come from using up infrared to convert to electricity which would have ended up heading there space. But yes 3.5% efficiently is realistically on a lower end.
Depends how much more costly it is than laminated glass though?
While a single family home is going to be much better off just putting PV on the roof, high-rise buildings have a volume (proxy for energy consumption) to roof area ratio issue. this will be a game changer for high-rise buildings once its fully up and running and initial prices start to come down.
Cost and insulation value would be my biggest concern. I remember 100 watt panels were a big thing and now you can’t give them away. That said, is a great concept and I’m sure improvements on this will come along. Maybe since is clear, layering in one panel can double your output.
Retired GE Electrical Engineer