Great New Solar Idea

I’m continuously baffled by the lack of solar-energy policy and particularly how little it’s been adopted by public & government buildings here in Phoenix.  With 300+ (feels like 400+) days of sunshine a year, we’re literally letting money trickle into the gutter.

The best I can think of is that people don’t like the look of solar panels on the roof, and nobody has been daring enough to build solar panels into the walls of our high-rises.

So I was pretty psyched when I saw this product reviewed in INHABITAT:

Windows are a two-way street when it comes to efficient green building. We need them for light, fresh air, beauty, and the connection they create to the outdoors, but even the most efficient windows, installed perfectly, are akin to having a hole in the wall as far as energy is concerned. Enter Peer +, who has developed a new type of energy-generating smart glass that can change its opacity to filter sunlight, significantly reducing the energy costs of solar over-exposure. You can select settings from bright to dark to private (scattering), and the windows will actually generate electricity from the blocked sunlight. Pretty nifty!

Why not use that which makes us least comfortable (incredible heat) to power our recreation?  Hell, even if solar technology hasn’t reached a point for us to be able to power buildings entirely from solar, consider at least the costs that could be avoided, and/or profits that could be made, by capitalizing on what we can grab?

(This is Day 10 of the 30 Day Blog Challenge, be sure to check out the other participants at #30DayBC)