Photovoltaic Glass

Photovoltaic Skylight
As a part of the complete revitalization of the two-million square-foot former Bell Labs facility into an iconic mixed-use metroburb located in Holmdel, N.J., Onyx Solar will be supplying Bell Works with 60,000 SqFt of amorphous Silicon photovoltaic glass, to create the largest-of-its-kind photovoltaic skylight in the USA.
Upon completion, the PV skylight will both naturally illuminate the complex while generate free, clean electricity from the sun. It will simultaneously offset approx. 60 tons of annual CO2 emissions, drastically improving the building’s energy efficiency and reducing its carbon footprint. As an example, the annual energy generated would provide enough power to drive 100 electric cars along 4,250 miles per year... utilizing state-of-the-art technology, Bell Works’ skylight will feature 24 different glass units from Onyx Solar to cover the various unique skylight schemes at the Eero Saarinen-designed architectural gem. Each will be comprised of amorphous Silicon thin film photovoltaic (a-Si PV) active glass, laminated between two sheets of tempered safety glass, allowing for 20% Visual Light Transmittance (VLT) to reduce solar heat gain while producing energy, all while preserving Bell Work’s historical design.

In another example, the system on the roof of this Apple store allows daylight to stream through the roof at the same time producing power for the building.