Next Energy Technologies, a California-based organic photovoltaic (OPV) startup, has unveiled what it claims is the world’s largest fully transparent organic PV window.
Measuring 101.6cm by 152.4cm (3.3ft x 4.9ft), the laminated power-generating window was developed using the company’s pilot production line.
The new product features a transparent OPV layer integrated into a substrate, along with an edge seal, busbar, junction box, and cover glass.
The 40” x 60” format marks a key commercialisation milestone for NEXT Energy Technologies and is significant for the industry. Next Energy
The achievement moves the glass industry closer to developing full-scale solar-powered facades.
“The combination of highest quality aesthetics, power generation, and integration with the glass supply chain is a game changer in the push towards designing net zero buildings,” said Andy Cohen, Gensler co-chairman, in a statement.
Sustainable power-generating glass windows
Devices called organic photovoltaics employ organic semiconductors to harness solar energy to produce electricity. The research at UC Santa Barbara that earned a Nobel prize is the source of OPV.
Unlike other semiconductors, carbon-based semiconductors can capture light in the ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) spectrums while still letting visible light through. This is not possible with other solar semiconductors. The transition to OPV has a profound impact on a window.
OPV technology offers several advantages, including transparency and consistent efficiency in high-angle, low-light, and high-temperature conditions.
It utilises inks made from readily available, low-cost, earth-abundant materials while enabling continuous improvements in efficiency, transparency, and colour tuning. Additionally, OPV eliminates heavy metals and toxic byproducts, making it a more sustainable alternative.
Last year, the company showcased 68cm × 89cm OPV windows, claiming they could offset 20% to 25% of a typical commercial building’s energy load. These windows also absorb and convert infrared light, helping to reduce heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) demands.
“NEXT’s proprietary transparent organic photovoltaic (OPV) coating can transform commercial windows into clean energy-generating facades, making buildings more sustainable and resilient and alleviating strain on the grid,” said the firm in a statement.
Seamless solar coatings
Next Energy employs automated slot-die coating techniques to apply its proprietary OPV directly onto glass. The process involves depositing the coating, laser-scribing the OPV layer, and then laminating it.
Described as a versatile deposition method, the technique delivers a solution onto a substrate through a narrow slot close to the surface. Glass fabricators can integrate this process into their existing production lines.
According to the firm, the pilot production represents a significant step towards integrating solar power into full-scale vision area glass for energy-generating facades.
The company’s OPV coatings tackle three key challenges in scaling solar glass solutions: aesthetics, performance, and manufacturability. Designed to blend seamlessly with commercial architecture, the neutral grey coating matches the most widely used colour in North American facades.
The innovation not only preserves the appearance of traditional glass but also incorporates efficient power generation. Additionally, the in-line manufacturing process allows glass fabricators to adopt the technology without major production overhauls.
According to the firm, by addressing these critical factors, Next Energy’s OPV solution provides a viable path for the glass industry to transition towards sustainable, solar-integrated buildings.
“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. It’s a proof point that builds high confidence in our path to enabling 60” x 120” commercial production,” said Daniel Emmett, co-founder, executive chairman, and CEO of Next Energy, in a statement.