More of the Future

As we move into the real photonic future, we won't be putting photovoltaic panels on our roofs or putting them anywhere for that matter. No, if we are to truly move away from carbon, we must build with these photon to electron materials, not add them as an afterthought.

Our buildings must become giant solar collectors themselves. The energy that surrounds us must be able to be transformed by our roofing, our siding, and our finistration into useful electronic energy. In the trades, its called Building Integrated PV. (BIPV)

Here is a story from Green Tech blog that makes you think that the kind of future we must create might actually become a reality.

Coming to a mall near you:
Power-generating windows
Posted by Martin LaMonica
May 6, 2008

Solar company HelioVolt and Architectural Glass & Aluminum on Tuesday announced a partnership to produce glass windows capable of generating electricity.

HelioVolt is one of several new solar manufacturers using different materials to produce thin-film solar cells.

The company intends to make solar cells for rooftop panels and later get into building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), where cells are embedded onto roof shingles, blinds, awnings, or other building components.

The deal with Architectural Glass & Aluminum calls for the companies to design solar-enabled curtain walls, the glass facades on the outside of buildings, or architectural glass in the interior of buildings. (clip)

Last week, another thin-film solar producer, Global Solar Energy, announced a partnership with Dow to make solar shingles.

Another company doing solar-enabled roofing is DRI Energy, a division of a construction company that has developed roof shingles and solar cells that glue onto flat roofs of commercial buildings." more

The US Department of Energy estimates that development of “practical, efficient and economical” BIPV products, deployed on roofs and façades of commercial buildings and homes, can generate 50 percent of the electrical needs of developed countries such as the United States, according to the HelioVolt announcement.

According to Dr. B J. Stansberry, “Driven by the inherent value of being able to generate clean electricity at the same place it’s being consumed, the market for distributed solar energy is developing at breakneck speed,” said the HelioVolt CEO.

“In addition to offering advances over the typical solar panel products that dominate the market today, HelioVolt’s manufacturing process enables next-generation smart building materials capable of powering cities of the future.”

Delivering cost and efficiency benefits to the solar energy market, HelioVolt’s proprietary FASST™ process manufactures high-performance CIGS thin film ten to one hundred times more rapidly than competitive processes.

Heliovolt is currently constructing a manufacturing facility in Austin.

And I'm glad they are.

We need more of the future,

right here, right now.

HOME
.
Earthfamily Principles
.
Earthfamilyalpha Content IV
Earthfamilyalpha Content III
Earthfamilyalpha Content II
Earthfamilyalpha Content
.
Links
.
LANGUAGE TRANSLATIONS