The future of solar power

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Hi everyone,

Solar has long been linked to rooftop panels and large-scale solar farms. However, since its creation in 1883, the technology behind solar has massively expanded, allowing the technology that drives the rooftop panels we all know to be adopted into a wide range of materials.

This isn’t just generating more solar energy, it’s also helping overcome some of the key challenges solar has traditionally faced, making it more aesthetically pleasing, more versatile, and more integrated into daily life.

This week, let's explore some of the innovative ways solar technology is being used.

Solar Windows

Windows are everywhere, and they may soon serve as more than just a natural light source and generate power as well.

SolarWindow is one of several companies that have developed glass and plastic panels that can generate electricity. These panels can capture ultraviolet and infrared light that can produce energy, without compromising on the window’s transparency and natural light!

One of the biggest challenges for solar, especially in dense, power-hungry cities, is space... But with this technology, you can multiply the available space for solar at an incredible rate, generating far more self-sufficient buildings and cities.

Ultra-Thin Flexible Solar Films

The traditional solar panels we all know are typically heavy, bulky frames attached to a roof with a large mounting system which can create massive limitations for where they can be applied.

Enter Heliatek and their HeliaSol range. An ultra-lightweight, thin and flexible solar film that can be installed almost anywhere, from external walls to roofs (without the need for complex mounts). This flexibility allows it to be applied to curved and irregular shapes, opening up a whole new possibility to integrate solar into existing architecture.

Aesthetic Solar Panels

It might not be a practical concern, but the look of traditional solar panels is a common blocker to their wider adoption. Sistine Solar is addressing this with their SolarSkin product, an overlay that can be customised to sit over solar panels, blending them into the building’s aesthetic.

Depending on the design, these films still allow for 92-99% energy yield. Whilst losing 8% of potential energy isn’t great, 92% is a whole lot better than 0% when you consider the alternatives.

When visual preference is the blocker to solar adoption, this could be a great solution.

Solar Paint

Stepping beyond the concept of panels, windows and films, there is a lot of research currently going into the development of solar paint. This involves using light-sensitive materials within the paint mix that are capable of turning sunlight into energy.

This is still in the early stages of development, but the potential is massive, effectively as big as you can paint. Imagine entire buildings coated in solar paint, generating the energy needed to sustainably power them!​

Solar Fabrics

pvilion is a New York based start-up developing a range of solar products even more versatile than paint! They’ve developed solar fabrics - materials that contain photovoltaic threads to generate electricity, all whilst looking like clean, modern textiles.

Their product range includes canopies, shade sails and even tents, which help solve the problem of access to power in remote locations. As the technology behind this grows, it’ll be exciting to see what other daily textiles it can work its way into!

Integrating solar technology into diverse materials and surfaces represents a significant shift in how we view and use renewable energy. Embedding solar tech into everyday materials brings us closer to a future where energy generation is seamlessly woven into daily life.

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Are there any particular technologies that excite you or that you'd like to see implemented in your community?

Catch you next week!
James

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