Dutch designer Marjan van Aubel has created a stained glass window that doubles as a clean energy source.
In the ‘Current Window’ project, coloured pieces of glass generate electricity from daylight, and can even harness diffused sunlight. The power is then sent to a USB port in the window ledge.
The glass pieces are made of ‘dye sensitised solar cells’, which use the properties of colour to create an electrical current — just like photosynthesis in plants, according to van Aubel. As various shades of green chlorophyll absorb light, the coloured window panes harness energy.
The designer says the windows could be used on a large scale, in churches or other buildings, with more energy being collected as the surface area increases.
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