A study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has highlighted how the use of PV windows in highly glazed buildings, such as skyscrapers found in big cities, has a notable impact on a buildings carbon footprint by up to 40%. This means that highly glazed buildings using PV windows (solar energy) could use up to 40% less energy and CO2 emissions when compared to other buildings.
The scientists found that combining PV windows with simple geometric changes could save up to 10,000 to 40,000 gigajoules of energy per year, which of course would be better for the planet. The use of these PV windows could also see the reduction of annual carbon emissions by up to 2,000 tons, a considerable improvement when compared to using no PV windows at all.
They also found that the PV windows worked better in climates with fluctuating temperatures compared to warmer climates.
Buildings currently account for around 30% of worldwide energy usage, therefore the use of PV windows in buildings could help to lower this demand and will thus be better for the planet. Scientists have also been working on solar panels that work at night, yet another exciting development within the green energy industry.