ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Research → Inventions

Colourful ‘solar glass’ can make energy-generating buildings

Mihai AndreibyMihai Andrei
October 16, 2013
in Inventions, Renewable Energy
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

A British company has developed colored but transparent solar cells which add just 10% to the price of the glass they are attached to.

Glass and sunlight

Dr. Henry Snaith from Oxford photovoltaics holding glass with printed solar cell
Credits for the Photograph: Oxford Photovoltaics

Oxford Photovoltaics, a spin-off from the University of Oxford, was able to “print” colourful glass that can generate electricity from the sun’s energy; they reported a £2m funding boost on Tuesday, which they will use to develop their technology and make it commercially available, for glass, or why not – buildings themselves. The company only has 4 employees now, so they’re looking forward to hiring experienced staff.

“What we say here is rather than attach [solar] photovoltaics to the building, why not make the building the photovoltaics?” Kevin Arthur, the company’s founder and CEO, told the Guardian. “If you decide to build a building out of glass, then you’ve already decided to pay for the glass. If you add this, you’re adding a very small extra cost. [The solar cell treatment] costs no more than 10% of the cost of the facade.”

These typically cost between £600 and £1,000 per square metre, with the solar cell addition coming in at £60-£100 extra per square metre.

How it works

 

Oxford_Photovoltaics_Cells

The technology works by adding a layer of transparent solid-state solar cells at most three microns thick to conventional glass, and can gather sunlight at a 12% efficiency; the energy can be used to power up the building or sent back to the national grid. Most solar panels kick in at about 15% efficinecy, so this transparent glass works pretty well, and it also comes in a variety of colors (though only black ones get 12%, it’s a little lower for other colors).

“Within reason we can print any colour, there’s a wide range of dyes, blues and greens and reds and so on. But different colours have different efficiencies: black is very high, green is pretty good and red is good, but blue is less good,” said Arthur.

So if you really want to go for efficiency, as always with solar energy, black’s your friend. But you can also opt for a compromise.

RelatedPosts

Cyborg bacteria equipped with tiny solar panels outperform photosynthesis
Dubai to start building world’s biggest concentrated solar power plant
Solar is now cheaper than spot electricity prices in most of Europe
Nanowires break solar cell cell theoretical maximum efficiency and usher in a new era of solar power

So, what’s the problem?

Solar-windows-e1343032265966

Well, of course, the first problem is that the glass is colored – I mean really colored. Most people wouldn’t like working in a building with such windows, so it’s only appliable to some cases. But even in this case you can make the windows entirely transparent, and make objects in the office absorb light rays, solar-power generating materials on adjacent walls and large surfaces; not as effective, but it could work.

Also, some clubs, cafes and the like would just love having this type of windows – mix in energy generating, and you have a very valuable recipe on your hands. It’s also perfect for tinting car windows in hybrids, so I could easily see a lot of potential for this invention.

Scientific Paper.

Tags: solar energysolar paintsolar panel

ShareTweetShare
Mihai Andrei

Mihai Andrei

Dr. Andrei Mihai is a geophysicist and founder of ZME Science. He has a Ph.D. in geophysics and archaeology and has completed courses from prestigious universities (with programs ranging from climate and astronomy to chemistry and geology). He is passionate about making research more accessible to everyone and communicating news and features to a broad audience.

Related Posts

Agriculture

America’s Cornfields Could Power the Future—With Solar Panels, Not Ethanol

byTudor Tarita
2 months ago
Environment

Golf Courses Use More Land Globally Than Solar or Wind Energy

byMihai Andrei
4 months ago
Science

China wants to build massive solar station in space — it’s like a ‘Three Gorges dam’ in orbit

byMihai Andrei
5 months ago
Agriculture

Insects can thrive amidst solar panels — just give them some native plants

byMihai Andrei
1 year ago

Recent news

Scientists Discover a Way to Store Data in Ice Using Only Air Bubbles

June 19, 2025

Elon Musk says he wants to “fix” Grok after the AI disagrees with him

June 19, 2025
a denisovan skull

The Face of a Ghost: 146,000-Year-Old Skull Finally Reveals What Denisovans Looked Like

June 19, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.