The timeless charm of windows

Glass Times editor Nathan Bushell considers something old and something new.

This morning I was going to write about a tweet I had read earlier in the week about how someone found some Crittall windows by the side of the road, and then decided to take them home.
They had been removed from a property (ie, not new), and she has no connection to this industry.

I had so much I wanted to say, both in reply to the tweet and in this article, however in both cases I would have probably come across as a complete nerd.

In any case, a far more interesting story pinged into my inbox this morning, and one I’m sure you’d be interested in too.

A new type of window glass – in effect a transparent solar panel – is the objective of joint research being done by the University of the Free State (UFS) in South Africa and Ghent University in Belgium.

A working model has been created that proves the viability of the process, which now needs to be refined, made more efficient, and brought to market. This should happen within the decade.
The research is driven by the University of the Free State and was prompted by ever-rising electricity prices and growing demand for electricity production. South Africa lives with constant power outages, which leaves people stuck in lifts and facing chaos on the roads as traffic lights cut out. Many people who can afford them now rely on generators.

Hendrik Swart said: “The idea is to develop glass that is transparent to visible light, just like the glass you find in the windows of buildings, motor vehicles and mobile electronic devices. However, by incorporating the right phosphor materials inside the glass, the light from the sun that is invisible to the human eye (ultraviolet and infrared light) can be collected, converted and concentrated to the sides of the glass panel where solar panels can be mounted.

“This invisible light can then be used to generate electricity to power buildings, vehicles and electronic devices. The goal is therefore to create a type of transparent solar panel.”
Imagine the opportunities for our industry!