New Energy’s largest and highest-performance see-through SolarWindow prototype, capable of generating electricity on glass.
New Energy Technologies, developer of see-through SolarWindowT coatings, capable of generating electricity on glass and flexible plastics, recently announced that its technology has set a new record for generating electricity, while still remaining see-through.
Using certified power-production data, company engineers estimate that a SolarWindowT installation on a 50-story commercial building in Florida could generate enough electricity to power at least 100 homes, while eliminating the equivalent carbon emissions produced by vehicles driving approximately 2,750,000 miles per year.
Additional total power production and carbon-offset estimates for skyscraper and tall tower installations are currently being calculated by engineers for public review using validated SolarWindowT performance results.
New Energy’s announcement is based on results of independent testing and certification of its SolarWindowT modules by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Based on this newly validated data from the high-performance modules unveiled on March 26, 2014, New Energy’s review of prevailing published literature and scientific reports confirmed that SolarWindowT modules outperform publicized devices of comparable architecture, size and design by over 53% in terms of power production – a major achievement and new record. The company’s certified, high-performance module is the most efficient organic photovoltaic (OPV) module ever measured by NREL’s Device Performance Measurement Laboratory.
Typically, OPV performance tests are conducted on small ‘lab-scale’ devices, which generally measure only 1 in² or smaller due to the challenging nature of OPV scale-up for see-through devices. New Energy’s latest, high-performance SolarWindowT module measures 36 in².
“We are engineering our see-through SolarWindowT products to generate sustainable electricity, and be aesthetically attractive, while being developed at a cost which makes economic sense to our customers,” says John A. Conklin, president and CEO of New Energy Technologies. “We also remain mindful of ease-of-manufacturing, scale-up of size and overall environmental benefits – all important considerations for our potential customers and future commercial partners in the commercial buildings sector.”
Company engineers envision installing SolarWindowT on the vast areas of tinted glass surfaces on commercial buildings. In contrast, conventional solar power systems are limited to very small rooftop areas on skyscrapers and tall towers, which are already crowded with service systems, such as HVAC services and elevators; tenant-amenities, such as rooftop gardens and pools; and other high-footprint features.
Rocky Mountains seen through New Energy’s electricity-generating SolarWindow.
New Energy’s high-performance, large-area SolarWindowT has been fabricated through the efforts of the company’s Principal Scientist, Dr. Scott Hammond, in collaboration with NREL Researchers, particularly Dr. Maikel van Hest, Dr. Dana C. Olson, and Dr. Scott Mauger.
“We’ve worked hard to achieve both large-scale and high power conversion efficiency,” says Dr. Scott Hammond. “Our record-breaking SolarWindowT module is the result of various methods of fabrication and materials, which have helped us overcome numerous challenges unique to our OPV device technology.”
SolarWindowT is currently under development for eventual commercial deployment.