KEY POINTS
- Transparent solar glass technology launched in South Africa to generate power from building facades.
- The innovative technology is designed to increase energy efficiency and sustainability in urban environments.
- Solar glass is seen as a breakthrough in reducing reliance on non-renewable energy sources.
This is a breakthrough in green architecture as South Africa has adopted the transparent solar glass technology where building façade can power the building. This modern technology could change the way buildings in the urban environment can contribute to renewable energy generation, while maintaining the appearance of the structures.
This solar glass is developed by local companies in partnership with global technology companies for use in windows and façade of buildings, thus it is possible for skyscraper, office complex, and other large structures to capture the sun’s power.
This move comes at a time when South Africa is ramping up efforts to diversify its energy mix especially in view of the persistent power problems in the country.
As reported by Engineering News, the transparent solar glass technology makes it possible to produce electricity while not obscuring the view or the architecture. The photovoltaic technology is incorporated in the glass whereby the system collects the sun’s rays and converts it into electrical energy that can be utilized in the building or even fed to the power grid.
This innovation is expected to enhance energy utilization efficiency especially in the urban regions where space for the conventional solar panels is hard to come by.
A game-changer for sustainable architecture
 Solar glass is a step further in integration of energy production with the architecture of the buildings. Conventional solar panels are bulky and usually need large flat surfaces such as roofs for their placement.
However, with solar glass, whole structures can now be power plants where the facades and windows are the power sources. This makes the technology particularly useful in the high rise buildings in the urban areas where the roof space is very limited.
 Besides its energy producing function, the glass is expected to remain clear to let in natural light into buildings and thus minimize the use of artificial lighting.
This twin advantage of power generation and energy conservation is expected to make the product very attractive to architects, developers and building owners who are keen on minimizing their carbon footprint.
Improving energy efficiency in urban environment
Due to the energy problem in South Africa, there has been growing concern in the development of renewable energy sources. Some of the issues that have been of concern include the fact that the country has heavily relied on coal, which has been characterized by power cuts and high costs of energy.
Solar glass is viewed as a part of the solution as it provides an opportunity to integrate renewable energy into current and future urban environment.
It could also be used in the realization of renewable energy sources in South Africa and the subsequent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Through powering buildings with electricity, solar glass can contribute to the stabilization of energy demand on the national level in the long run.
Solar innovation: a bright future
While South Africa has embraced the transparent solar glass, there is a possibility that this new technology could be incorporated in most of the construction projects in urban areas.
Solar glass is a promising solution to the problem of integrating renewable energy into the design of modern buildings and the dense urban environment because it can simultaneously produce electricity and retain the appearance of the structures.
This technology is a sign of a positive change in the country’s path towards the use of sustainable energy sources. With the world shifting towards the use of green technology, the use of solar glass in South Africa could spur other countries to follow suite in the use of renewable energy technologies.
