EarthTalk: Windows may be next energy source

Dear EarthTalk: “What’s up with “solar windows” that generate solar electricity and remain transparent? Can this tech put a dent in our carbon emissions?” -- Mark Jackson, Cary, N.C.Modern urban skylines are dominated by towering skyscrapers with expansive glass facades that absorb large amounts of solar heat while leaving vast surface areas unused for renewable energy generation. Traditional architectural designs treat windows as passive barriers, but this paradigm is shifting as cities search for new ways to combat climate change. By transforming transparent building skins into active power generators, urban centers can harness millions of square feet of previously wasted vertical space.Transparent luminescent solar concentrators and transparent photovoltaic glass operate by harvesting invisible wavelengths of light, like ultraviolet and infrared, while letting visible light pass through cleanly.

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