Renewable Energy Magazine reported that NEXT Energy Technologies has achieved a significant milestone in harnessing solar energy.
NEXT is a developer of Building Integrated PV Solutions and organic photovoltaics, which harness energy from the sun. The company recently completed installing photovoltaic windows at its Santa Barbara, California, headquarters, making this the first commercial installation powered by the company's technology and marking a significant step forward in the commercialization of its solar products.
The installation consists of six photovoltaic windows totaling 100 square feet of NEXT's solar energy-harnessing glass. With this installation, architects and other interested parties can have a real-life demonstration of how these windows look and how much energy they produce.
NEXT's organic photovoltaic technology allows windows in commercial buildings to generate energy from the sun, turning these commercial buildings into their own power sources. With NEXT's technology, buildings can generate enough energy to offset 20% to 25% of the property's typical energy consumption.
Additionally, because these windows capture and convert infrared light, buildings stay cooler, which helps HVAC systems with their job.
Overall, NEXT's innovation will enhance the resilience of buildings, increase buildings' energy efficiency, improve the efficiency of local grids, and create clean, renewable power. This will result in lower energy costs, energy independence, and less reliance on the dirty energy responsible for the majority of air pollution, leading to a healthier and cleaner future for communities.
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It's unknown whether these windows will be available for residential homes, but in the meantime, homeowners looking to make the switch to solar energy can install solar panels and bring their monthly energy bills down to as low as $0.
Finding a local installer is simple with EnergySage's free tool that lets you compare quotes and possibly save up to $10,000 on your solar installation. Plus, switching to solar energy makes it easier and cheaper for homeowners to run other money-saving appliances like heat pumps. Those looking to switch to a heat pump can find an affordable one with the help of Mitsubishi.
As for this solar-harnessing window installation, NEXT Vice President of Commercialization & Growth, Jonathan Hafemann, explained to Renewable Energy Magazine: "This is the first of many. We're thrilled to share this tangible demonstration of our vision for energy-generating facades and to invite the industry to imagine what's possible when windows do more than just manage heat gain and U-value."
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