Pretoria Glass Photovoltaic Project

Photovoltaic (PV) glass stands at the forefront of sustainable building technology, revolutionizing how we harness solar energy in modern architecture. This innovative material transforms ordinary windows into power-generating assets through building-integrated photovoltaics, marking a significant breakthrough in renewable energy integration.

Through a collaboration between Australian glass solar technology developer ClearVue and local technology distributor Concept Business Solutions, a novel transparent glass solar panel technology for use in building facades has been launched in South Africa.

The CSIR constructed a solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant on its Pretoria campus as part of its research into technologies and policies to support the increased use of renewable energy in South Africa. It also marks the start of a journey to a carbon-neutral campus.

Boyd said that a major South African glass manufacturer was in discussions to assemble the product locally, combining ClearVue's patented solar technology, manufactured in Australia, with locally made glass panels. However, he said the aim is to have the full product manufactured in South Africa as soon as possible.

Real-world performance data indicates that a standard square meter of PV glass can generate between 50-200 kilowatt-hours (kWh) annually. For perspective, a typical office building with 1,000 square meters of PV glass facade could potentially generate 50,000-200,000 kWh per year, enough to offset a significant portion of its energy consumption.

Perovskite-based PV glass, currently under development, shows potential for achieving higher conversion rates while reducing production costs. Dynamic electrochromic PV glass, which can adjust its transparency based on environmental conditions, represents another frontier in smart building technology.