ScienceDaily (Apr. 10, 2008) —
People could live in glass houses and look at the world through rose-tinted windows while reducing their carbon emissions by 50%, thanks to QUT Institute of Sustainable Resources (ISR) research.
Professor John Bell said QUT had worked with a Canberra-based company Dyesol, which is developing transparent solar cells that act as both windows and energy generators in houses or commercial buildings. He said the solar cell glass would make a significant difference to home and building owners' energy costs and could, in fact, generate excess energy that could be stored or sold. Professor Bell said the glass was one of a number of practical technologies that would help combat global warming which was a focus of research at the ISR.
"The transparent solar cells have a faint reddish hue but are completely see-through," Professor Bell said. "The solar cells contain titanium dioxide coated in a dye that increases light absorption. "The glass captures solar energy which can be used to power the house but can also reduce overheating of the house, reducing the need for cooling." Professor Bell said it would be possible to build houses made entirely of the transparent solar cells. "As long as a house is designed throughout for energy efficiency, with low-energy appliances it is conceivable it could be self-sustaining in its power requirements using the solar-cell glass," he said.
He said the glass would be on the market in a few years. Professor Bell said the solar cell glass was the subject of two Australian Research Council Linkage grants to QUT researchers to investigate ways to increase its energy absorption and to reduce the effects of "shadowing", where overcast skies and shadows from trees or other buildings can cause loss of collected power.
Source: Future Of Solar-powered Houses Is Clear: New Windows Could Halve Carbon Emissions
Sounds like a great idea, I wounder how much cost it adds per window.
Replacement windows Ma
Professor John Bell said QUT had worked with a Canberra-based company Dyesol, which is developing transparent solar cells that act as both windows and energy generators in houses or commercial buildings. He said the solar cell glass would make a significant difference to home and building owners' energy costs and could, in fact, generate excess energy that could be stored or sold. Professor Bell said the glass was one of a number of practical technologies that would help combat global warming which was a focus of research at the ISR.
"The transparent solar cells have a faint reddish hue but are completely see-through," Professor Bell said. "The solar cells contain titanium dioxide coated in a dye that increases light absorption. "The glass captures solar energy which can be used to power the house but can also reduce overheating of the house, reducing the need for cooling." Professor Bell said it would be possible to build houses made entirely of the transparent solar cells. "As long as a house is designed throughout for energy efficiency, with low-energy appliances it is conceivable it could be self-sustaining in its power requirements using the solar-cell glass," he said.
He said the glass would be on the market in a few years. Professor Bell said the solar cell glass was the subject of two Australian Research Council Linkage grants to QUT researchers to investigate ways to increase its energy absorption and to reduce the effects of "shadowing", where overcast skies and shadows from trees or other buildings can cause loss of collected power.
Source: Future Of Solar-powered Houses Is Clear: New Windows Could Halve Carbon Emissions
One problem people being squeamish about nudity !!! not me I am a nudist at heart....:eek:
We can talk till we are blue in the face, The real impact of change is when we take action based on information we have talked about. So lets do more action to create change. :)
An update on the research in "solar-powered windows": Solar Windows Breakthrough from MIT Looms Large | Green Tech Gazette
According to MIT, the cost reduction is due to the organic solar concentrators, which are the dyes that absorb different wavelengths of light and push this energy towards the frame, which contains far fewer PV cells than standard solar panels, yet producrd the same energy output.
So, imagine three years off when these solar windows are expected to hit the market, homeowners everywhere are replacing the standard glass windows in their home with solar windows. Some would say that replacing their windows may be a major pain (or pane), but the gain from the solar windows is extra energy, lower electricity bills and a house that is green to go for many years to come. For those who don’t do windows, you may rethink this one when it comes to solar windows.
:computer:
* XING Profile
* Sustainable Land Use & Impact Assessment
Cost of newly developed glass is lesser than that of solar panels and one doesn't have to go to the roof to clean the panels as these glass can be cleaned during regular cleaning schedules itself.
.
Get a tree planted in your name FOR FREE :hello: