Delft-based startup Physee is among the thirty early-stage technology pioneers selected by the World Economic Forum for their potential to change the world. In order to help homes and businesses attain sustainability, the startup has developed PowerWindows, a fully transparent window system with integrated solar modules to convert solar light into electricity. In this way, people can make use of windows of their home or office building to generate electricity without affecting their functionality. Using the companion mobile app EESYbox, users can control features and monitor performance stats of the power-generating windows.
Solar cells will be installed at the edges of smart windows in order to minimize effects on glass functionalities. These energy-generating windows produce sufficient amount of electricity to charge multiple smartphones together. Users are provided with a battery unit to store energy for later usage. Moreover, there are climate sensors to automatically adjust lighting or air conditioning systems according to the weather conditions outside. Although, PowerWindows are especially beneficial to transform large office buildings, towers, skyscrapers, and hotels into energy-neutral buildings, but can also be useful in case of glazed homes. When talking about big buildings, it is a better idea to utilize vertical wall surface area, rather than using rooftops for installing solar capabilities.
Last month, the startup fitted the headquarters of Rabobank with 323-square-feet of PowerWindows to make it energy neutral. Now, the bank’s employees will be able to charge their smartphones with solar energy generated from windows. There are also plans to refine the innovative power-generating technology to make it more useful and powerful for people.
