A Northern California company is working to develop "solar windows" that double as solar panels. Pythagoras Solar of San Mateo has received an award of $100,000 from the GE ecomagination Challenge in support of the technology's development. According to a San Francisco Chronicle report, the company's "window laced with solar cells" could generate power for office buildings while at the same time shielding offices from sunlight, reducing energy costs -- especially those associated with air-conditioning.
The SF Chronicle report notes that the Pythagoras window belongs to a class of solar equipment known as building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), which also includes solar window awnings and photovoltaic roofing tiles. For the window technology as developed by Pythagoras, thin horizontal rows of silicon cells embedded between dual panes of glass catch sun light from above; via a trick of optics, the window blocks direct sunlight from entering the building, cutting the amount of power required for A/C. Instead of heating the room, the captured sunlight generates clean solar power.
Interesting stuff!
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