Imagine looking out of a skyscraper. Seeing hundreds of cars. Various other buildings, Stoplights, signals, advertisement boards. Now imagine, all of those being powered by the energy provided by a single building. The one you’re looking out of.

In 2018, a company named Ubiquitous Energy introduced the ‘Solar Glass’. This invisible solar cell absorbs solar rays and converts them to solar energy. All this, while remaining almost invisible to the human eye.

According to projections from Michigan State University, 5 to 7 billion square meters of usable window space exists, enough to power a full 40% of US energy needs. This glass can be used for windows in offices, homes and other buildings. It can be the sunroof of your eco-friendly Tesla. Every glass surface that you encounter can most probably be replaced by solar glass panels.

Adding solar glass had other benefits, other than obviously, powering cities. As I found quite interesting, solar glass can also provide cooler interiors, glare filters, UV protection, and low energy consumption. It’s like a planet-saving package deal!

This achievement is quite recent and not fully developed. The dilemma is efficiency. In order to remain transparent, the glass has to let some light pass through. “High-performance solar cells can achieve 25% efficiency or greater, but maintaining transparency means sacrificing the efficiency with which light is converted into electricity,” says Greg Nichols. An article claims that the University of Michigan is developing more efficient solar glass panels.

As a science-fiction enthusiast, scientist, and T.V show host, Arthur Clarke once said: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

Article By :
Sarah Masih

Pic Credit: http://ubiquitous.energy/windows/