Organic photovoltaic (OPV) technology pioneer NEXT Energy Technologies has upgraded its pilot manufacturing line in California to produce 40 x 60-in. laminated transparent power-generating windows using its unique NEXT OPV coating and manufacturing process. These 40 x 60 units are the largest transparent OPV windows produced anywhere in the world, the company said.
This pilot production marks a significant step toward enabling the glass industry to produce full-scale vision area glass for clean, solar energy-producing facades.
NEXT OPV coatings address the three big challenges to creating a scalable solution for the commercial glass industry: aesthetics, performance and manufacturability. The neutral grey coating, modeled after the most adopted color in North American commercial facades, is combined with power generation and in-line manufacturing to make a valuable solution for the glass industry.
“The combination of highest quality aesthetics, power generation and integration with the glass supply chain is a game changer in the push toward designing net-zero buildings,” stated Andy Cohen, co-chairman of architecture group Gensler. “Just mid-last year, we were demonstrating NEXT’s 27 x 35-in. OPV windows at our office in Los Angeles, and with this larger window format, we have sustainable building projects in our sights.”
NEXT is preparing demonstration installations with key U.S. and European partners while focusing on shifting from pilot to production scale and obtaining UL safety and performance certification for grid-connected projects.
“This milestone is further evidence to an industry hungry for a solution that our combination of OPV coatings and advanced manufacturing processing is working, scaling and can be rapidly deployed,” said Daniel Emmett, co-founder, executive chairman and CEO of NEXT. “It’s a proof point that builds high confidence in our path to enabling 60 x 120-in. commercial production.”
NEXT’s proprietary transparent OPV coating can transform commercial windows into clean energy-generating facades, making buildings more sustainable and resilient and alleviating strain on the grid. Not only can they produce onsite power, the windows also absorb and convert infrared light, reducing the building’s HVAC demands.
News item from NEXT
