NEXT Energy Technologies upgraded its pilot production line to produce 40-by 60-inch laminated transparent power-generating windows featuring its organic photovoltaic (OPV) coating and manufacturing process.
Company officials say the windows are the largest transparent OPV windows developed and can help the glass industry produce full-scale vision area glass for clean, solar energy-producing facades.
“This milestone is further evidence to an industry hungry for a solution that our combination of OPV coatings and advanced manufacturing processing is working, scaling and can be rapidly deployed,” says Daniel Emmett, co-founder, executive chairperson and CEO. “It’s a proof point that builds high confidence in our path to enabling 60-by 120-inch commercial production.”
Officials explain that NEXT’s OPV coatings address the three challenges of creating a scalable commercial glass industry solution: aesthetics, performance and manufacturability. The neutral grey coating, modeled after the most adopted color in North American commercial facades, combines power generation and in-line manufacturing.
“The combination of highest quality aesthetics, power generation and integration with the glass supply chain is a game changer in the push towards designing net zero buildings,” says Andy Cohen, Gensler co-chairperson. In July 2024, NEXT delivered 27-by 35-inch glass wall panels with OPV coatings to Gensler’s headquarters in Los Angeles.
NEXT is preparing demonstration installations with key United States and European partners, focusing on shifting from pilot to production scale and obtaining UL Solutions safety and performance certification for grid-connected projects.
A building with NEXT OPV facades can produce significant onsite renewable power, offsetting 20% to 25% of a typical commercial building’s energy load. The windows also absorb and convert infrared light, reducing the building’s HVAC demands.