We had a beautifully sunny day for my mom’s Memorial Day cookout a couple weekends back, which I suppose could be why the conversation turned the way that it did. My uncle, the president of a company that manufactures stoplights, had mentioned that he was working on a project very close to where I live. I needled him about providing a stoplight in one particularly troublesome intersection, and he explained the history of the project on which he was working. Upon asking how long a stoplight is designed to last, he explained that many stoplights and other construction signs are powered these days by photovoltaic (PV) panels.
Solar energy, huh? I found the conversation even more interesting as I heard it echoed later that week when I spoke with Steve Fronek, vice president of Wausau Window and Wall Systems in Wausau, Wis., about this very topic.
“It’s a real interesting topic because the overall PV market worldwide is growing like a weed and, for obvious reasons, could really be a key segment for the overall market (building integrated photovoltaics) doesn’t really get the attention because the rest of the markets are growing so fast,” Fronek commented during our conversation. “Going through road construction you’ll see the road construction sites, or the emergency phones by the side of the interstate, are now powered by solar panels instead of battery packs.”
And notice I have. Between those two conversations, my commute to work has been much more interesting lately. It’s hard for me to not notice the small panels perched atop the occasional road sign. It’s rather comforting to know that in some ways the transportation industry has adapted to the rising costs of fuel and is turning to alternative power … even if it doesn’t benefit me in my weekly ventures to the gas pump!
But what’s that about building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV)? And why is it an area you should be giving attention? Well, in this day and age, BIPV doesn’t just mean those high-tech looking panels perched atop a house—it can mean power-generating spandrels and even transparent curtainwall and facades.
Maybe this solar energy thing is still just a small trend, but it’s one that’s beginning to get noticed big-time by the glass industry. Have you read USGNN.com lately?
- FTL Solar Gets Funds for Power-Generating Buildings
- First Solar Shareholder Signals Swoon With Sales
- PORTUGAL - Saint-Gobain Develops its Presence on the Solar Mirrors Market
- CZECH REPUBLIC - SCHOTT Solar Officially Opens New Module Production Facilities in Valasské Mezirící
- Cardinal Glass to Open Solar Panel Factory in Mazomanie
- Glaston Corporation Establishes Solar Energy Targeted
- HelioVolt Partners with Architectural Glass & Aluminum Co. for Building Integrated Solar Products
- Asahi Reports Agreement to Pay Fine and Other News (other solar news)
- Future Houses May be Made Entirely of Solar Cell Glass
- Global Solar Energy Opens Landmark Manufacturing Plant, Sets Full-scale Production Capacity Records
- Glasstech Forms New Solar Systems Business Unit, Includes Several Current High Tech Systems
- SCHOTT Solar Selects Mesa del Sol for New Solar Manufacturing Plant
And that’s just a few of the related stories we’ve covered since the start of this year …
For me personally, BIPV has meant one of the most interesting articles I’ve worked on for USGlass. Do you know how many types of technologies use the sun to generate power? And how many of them involve glass? And that it’s possible to produce a transparent window that creates electricity? I’ve been researching just this for an article set to appear in our July issue.
In the meantime, I’d love your input on this exciting topic. Specifically, if you know of any buildings in the D.C.-area making use of PV (especially in vision areas), be sure to let me know. You can shoot me an e-mail at mheadley@glass.com.
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