Getting a Better Head for Heights
The Eiffel Tower, which attracts over 7 million people a year, has had its first floor refurbished with a stunning glass floor, included solar and become far more...
Read Full ArticleNew British technology will turn glass panels and windows into solar panels and could turn our glass skyscrapers into power stations - claims a Cambridge company which launched a funding programme on CrowdCube - Friday June 8.
Britain’s estimated 1 billion windows could become the power generators of the future, letting light through while harnessing solar energy claims Polysolar, which is already manufacturing transparent solar panels. Investment will accelerate manufacture and develop the next generation of photovoltaic (PV) windows according to the company.
The fundraising programme comes after extensive trials.
A typical 1200mm x 600m glass panel can generate on average 5kWh of power each month (equivalent to half a day’s power consumption for the average home), say the people at Polysolar who also claim London’s Shard, which has enough glass to surface eight football fields, would, if fitted with their glass, generate some 2,500MWh/year, enough (when combined with a reduction in air-conditioning loads) to create a zero-carbon building or power the annual energy needs of 1,000 houses.
Cost
Currently, a typical panel will cost about twice the price of a conventional glass panel - manufacturing in volume should bring this price down.
Installations
Installations to date include the UK's first solar powered glass bus shelter at Canary Wharf, petrol station canopies for Sainsbury’s, building facades and roofing for Network Rail as well as energy-generating domestic carports, conservatories, and greenhouses.
Hamish Watson, CEO of Polysolar, said: “We’ve invested over £1.5 million to get where we are today and we now have a commercial product and a huge potential market.”
Picture: The Future Business Centre in Cambridge where Polysolar provided PV glazing for the stairwell curtain walling and the decorative rainscreen cladding. This saw the first truly transparent curtain wall elements deployed in the UK and a BREEAM rating of Excellent.
Article written by Brian Shillibeer | Published 08 June 2018
The Eiffel Tower, which attracts over 7 million people a year, has had its first floor refurbished with a stunning glass floor, included solar and become far more...
Read Full ArticleA solar PV and battery installation has been confirmed to go ahead at Lakeside North Harbour, set to be one of the largest solar parking canopy projects in the UK. The...
Read Full ArticleA new carbon-saving 6,000-7,000-square-metre solar membrane is to be installed on the roof of the London stadium, project managed by Mace. The membrane will...
Read Full ArticleA new report from the UCL Energy Institute claims that the majority of the UK's required solar capacity could be installed unobtrusively on...
Read Full ArticleA pilot project to create a smart energy system in Thames Valley has successfully connected four of West Berkshire Council’s sites to the growing network. The...
Read Full ArticleThe UK’s Transportation and Storage sector is now the eighth-fastest growing sector in the country and the second-ranked sector for business growth in the past...
Read Full ArticleThe Olympic Stadium Berlin is to generate its own solar electricity in a major investment to drive both climate security and the urban energy transition to clean, green...
Read Full ArticleMitie Communities has worked with Essex County Council to manage the installation of roof-mounted solar panels at 15 schools across the county. The new panels...
Read Full ArticleA company best known for its pressure washers in the UK has taken a huge step in increasing environmental performance by deploying 967 solar panels on its HQ...
Read Full ArticleThe Fore Partnership has gotten the green light for a transformational low-carbon workspace next to the iconic Tower Bridge that will be 100% electric and zero carbon in...
Read Full Article