Oriented on making people closer

NEXT Energy Technologies, a pioneer in organic photovoltaic (OPV) technology, has completed the upgrade of its pilot production line to produce laminated transparent energy-generating windows using its unique NEXT OPV coating and manufacturing process. At 40” x 60” these units are the largest transparent OPV windows produced anywhere in the world, according to the company’s website.

The pilot production marks a significant step toward enabling the glass industry to produce full-scale viewing area glazing for clean solar facades. NEXT OPV coatings address three big challenges in creating a scalable solution for the commercial glass industry: aesthetics, performance, and manufacturability. A neutral gray coating modeled after the most common color in North American commercial facades is combined with power generation and in-line manufacturing to create a first-of-its-kind solution for the glass industry.

The development of OPV is based on Nobel Prize-winning research conducted at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Compared to traditional solar cells, OPV offers a number of advantages, such as maintaining transparency, operating at any angle of incidence, using inexpensive and environmentally friendly materials that do not contain toxic components. The transparent OPV coating captures infrared radiation and converts it into electricity, while maintaining light transmission. Such windows are expected to be able to offset up to 25% of the energy consumption of buildings, reducing the load on heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. The new generation of windows is designed to be integrated into the facades of commercial buildings, providing electricity generation without changing the appearance of glass structures.

NEXT is preparing demonstration of installations together with key partners from the US and Europe, focusing on moving from a pilot project to large-scale production and obtaining UL safety and performance certifications for grid-connected projects.

NEXT’s patented transparent organic photovoltaic coating can transform commercial windows into clean energy generating facades, making buildings more sustainable and reliable, while reducing the strain on the electrical grid. NEXT’s solution enables architects and building owners to transform traditional windows and glass facades into low-cost, local, renewable energy producers for buildings – a practical and inspiring solution for a sustainable future.

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Photo: nextenergytech.com