19-22 June 2024

Breakthrough Transparent Solar Coating Technology Efficiently Generates Renewable Energy from Any Surface 

• A new, transparent solar panels may look like ordinary glass windows, but they are actually built-in renewable energy generator.

• This breakthrough technology overcomes common solar panel disadvantage that requires a large space to install. It can also harvest sunlight around houses and buildings that have this specially treated glass panes and convert to energy.

• Transparent solar panels on various surfaces will offer an opportunity to drive sustainable growth for renewable energy worldwide.

 

"Solar energy" has been the main source of renewable energy for several years, and can compete with traditional energy sources that have a negative impact on the environment. However, there is a very important caveat: the sun does not always shine. Thus, generating energy from the sun is not always efficient, and it requires an enormous space to install solar panels on the roof or on the ground for this purpose.

 

Not surprisingly, enormous efforts have been made to find new and better ways to develop solar panels that can harvest and generate power from sunlight without the need for a large space. For example, a new technology from Ubiquitous Energy which is a glass coating substance to transform windows in homes and commercial buildings into transparent solar panels.

 

This new technology is equivalent to "invisible solar panel." It makes windows look and feel like a traditional clear glass windows that allow sunlight to pass through, but can also generate the much needed electricity.

 

In general, the efficiency of solar panels is restricted by its own limitations. Some of these limitations include how the solar panels must be installed in an angle that can receive direct sunlight, and need to be turned westward to receive the intense afternoon sun. This is not the case with this new technology, because even a north-facing window can get the sunlight and convert it into energy although this window does not get as strong sunlight as other windows facing the other directions.

 

Ubiquitous Energy is a global leader in transparent solar coating technology. It is committed to its goal of reducing the severity of climate change by creating transparent renewable energy on every surface with Ubiquitous Energy's patented UE Power™ coating. This coating technology enables windows to harvest energy from the sun and acts as a built-in power source. The company’s big goal is to turn skyscrapers around the world into vertical solar farms.

 

Furthermore, this Californian startup's goal doesn't stop at transforming windows into transparent solar panels. Ubiquitous Energy’s CEO Susan Stone said if this technology could be embedded or coated on other surfaces exposed to sunlight, such as non-glass building materials, then buildings with limited glass surfaces can also be coated with Ubiquitous Energy's film to generate renewable energy without sacrificing the space on their rooftops or fields to install traditional solar panels. Then, this could become a real turning point for solar power solution for various industries.

 

Beside the United States, countries in Europe are also developing technologies related to solar power-generating windows. The Dutch company Physee is currently installing 15,000 SmartWindows in office buildings across Europe. These windows feature both electricity-generating solar cells and sensor technology that helps manage a building's energy consumption which is expected to reduce the building's energy costs by up to 30%.

 

Meanwhile, transparent solar panels are already being used at Copenhagen International School in Denmark. The building is covered with 12,000 solar panels that are "colored but transparent" and provide 200 megawatts of electricity per year which is more than half of the energy actually consumed by the building.

 

If this technology is developed further that solar cell farms pop up everywhere even in the city center full of tall buildings and limited open space, it could ultimately lead to an ecosystem of sustainable energy management.

 

Those interested in renewable energy technologies and would like to catch up on the latest news and movements in the manufacturing industry, be sure to follow the FTC Blogs. Also, do not miss the chance to check out the most efficient solutions from international providers for the design and construction of industrial facilities, as well as factory management and maintenance systems for the more efficient, safer and more eco-friendly facilities at “FacTech 2023” during 21-24 June 2023 at BITEC, Bangkok.

 

Sources

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jennifercastenson/2023/03/15/solar-innovators-imagine-energy-produced-from-an-invisible-source/?sh=156abbea51d9

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/09/transparent-solar-panel-windows/