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  • Author Author: Eavesdropper
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Chicago's tallest building going solar

Eavesdropper
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The world famous Sears Tower, now Willis Tower, in Chicago is set to turn partially solar. A pilot project set to take place on the 56th floor of the Tower will feature photovoltaic glass from Pythagoras Solar. The insulating windows have a unique solar design. The PV cells lay 90 degrees from the glass's surface. Prisms in the glass reflect sunlight down into the horizontal PV cells, while diffused light still enters inside the building. This system makes the windows produce as much solar power as rooftop mounted panels.
 

 
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If the project goes well, which I am sure it will, the solar windows will be expanded throughout the entire building. The equivalent solar surface of these windows, if applied to every window of the building, is approximately 10 acres, or about 8000 kW on sunny days.
 
Eavesdropper

  • I like the solar idea, but given the number of cloudy days at Chicago, I would think that wind turbines would create more power there than the sun. image

    I saw a demo of this type of product for the energy home competition held in Washington DC.  I think it was the German university that had the house glass setup to use this approach to generate electricity.

    It will be interesting if they can run a cost effective installation at that latitude.  By the way, I live only about six hours from Chicago in Ohio, so if it works there, it should work here.

    Thanks

    DAB

     

    PS, the son of one of my friends lived in the tower and he said the water sloped at about 30 degrees tilt in his sink during windy days.

  • in reply to fustini

    Taking the solar light in this form is not an impact on the environment. The buildings are still going to be there. The light hitting the panels wouldn't warm the ground. And further acreage would not be covered by a solar farm. I think this should be a government mandate, all tall structures should be equipped with solar windows.

     

    If you can see the tower, then they can see you!

     

    E

  • Interesting concept and close to home - I can see it from my apartment! image