Bringing architectural beauty and energy transition together. Photovoltaic insulated glass developed by a Polish company

 Make solar energy through glass windows.

Munich, Germany, in April 2023. The world’s largest building materials fair was underway. World-renowned engineers and architects focused on a Polish company in the center of the room.  At a time when the climate crisis is becoming a reality, they seem to have found an oasis.

This is the decarbonization era.

Europe has a goal of complete decarbonization by 2030. However, the planet is emitting a greater amount of heat, as if the human targets were absurd. The United Nations warns that if no real action is taken to stop the rise in global temperatures within the next four years, rather than 2030, a doomsday scenario will begin.

It will be difficult to reduce global temperatures, but we can start by focusing on the use of green energy.

Solar energy is currently the most widely used green technology available to the public.

The main disadvantage is that it requires a lot of space to install the panels. It is frequently criticized for obstructing the urban landscape. (Offshore solar panel installations are highly criticized for spoiling the landscape…)

And here is the answer. There is a company that manufactures solar panels out of transparent glass and installs them on building windows.

The Polish company ML Systems has developed a translucent quantum dot glass that is capable of generating electricity from the sun.

How does it work?

This solar glass is able to generate electrical energy from the sun while remaining translucent. It can continue to function as an artificial light source during the night or on cloudy days. This overcomes a major drawback of solar energy, which is that it is less efficient when there is no sunlight.

It also has a high thermal insulation factor, the designers claim. This innovative solar technology is composed of a layer of quantum dots, which are nanometer-sized semiconductors that are invisible to the naked eye. These nanoparticles transfer electrons to each other, creating a movement that generates an electric current. In other words, the quantum active layer can absorb and emit electromagnetic waves in a precise range. In this way, ultraviolet and infrared light can be converted into electrical energy.

The researchers from ML Systems have stated that the glass has the potential to mitigate the effects of overheating. Furthermore, the angle of incidence of light has no effect on the performance of coatings made with quantum dots.

What are the main advantages of PHOTOVOLTAIC INSULATED GLASS?

Photovoltaic Insulated Glass technology can make electricity, but it also makes buildings better at keeping heat and energy out. PIG can absorb 100% of unhealthy UVA, UVB, and UVC rays.

This solar device has the added benefit of being less sensitive to heat. Since it reduces heat transfer in your home, you can save energy by limiting the use of air conditioning in the summer. According to scientists, the quantum dot glass is resistant to urban pollution, inclement weather, fog, and hail. It also weighs about 70% less than other glass on the market. In addition, the transparency of the solar glass can be adjusted according to customer needs.

In April 2023, ML Systems was honored with an Innovation Award at the Building Materials Fair in Munich, Germany. The company said the new translucent solar technology is the fruit of its pioneering thinking. “This technology meets a real market need, and it is a recognition of our years of hard work, from research to development and experimentation to product production,” said the company’s management.

ML Systems is also bringing its quantum dot solar glass technology to automobiles to facilitate battery charging.