Can glass produce electricity? A Swedish company claims that it can!

They produce semi-transparent solar panels that can generate solar energy from glass facades, windows and glass roofs

They produce semi-transparent solar panels that can generate solar energy from glass facades, windows and glass roofs

SolTech Energy, a Sweden-based company, has developed solar energy solutions suitable for all types of property. Among their innovative products are thin-film solar cells, transparent thin-film solar cells and unique roofing tiles made out of ordinary transparent glass, which collect the sun’s energy, providing heat to the building via a special heating system.

The tiles, made from ordinary glass and weighing about the same as those made of clay, are installed on top of a black nylon canvas. The black color absorbs heat from the sun and makes the air inside the air slots mounted under the nylon to circulate. The hot air is then used to heat up water, which is connected to the house’s heating system via an accumulator. The system also has the capacity to store heat in the isolating layers of air under the canvas, meaning that it saves energy throughout the year, even during winter days and at night time. The SolTech Energy System generates about 350 kWh heat per m² (10 ft²), depending on climate, angle of the roof and cardinal direction.

In 2009, the company won a gold medal for the year’s “Hottest New Material” for its glass tiles by North Building Fair, Nordbygg, whereas at Nordbygg 2016, SolTech Energy in collaboration with Sapa Building Systems presented a new type of solar cells where you can even design the active solar cell’s producing surface.

In the image below, all dark surfaces in the picture (the tree and children) are active solar cells:

Source: Inhabitat