Are Electricity Generating Windows the Next Big Thing in Solar Power?
A Swiss scientist was awarded the Millennium Technology Prize earlier this year for his pioneering work in developing nanotechnology which could lead to energy-generating windows for commercial and residential use.
Several recent technological advances have helped increase the affordability and efficiency of residential solar power. New installation and manufacturing techniques have also helped to make solar power more attractive for homeowners who are concerned about the aesthetics of adding solar panels to their homes. New technologies such as solar roofing panels serve multiple purposes and create an efficient source of solar power while being far less obtrusive than traditional home solar panels.
A new breakthrough promises to take multi-use solar panels to the next level. BBC News reports that in June, Professor Michael Gratzel of the Lausanne Federal Technology Institute in Switzerland received the prestigious Millennium Technology Prize from Finland