Andersen Corp. and Ubiquitous Energy to develop solar energy–generating windows and doors

What if glazing—from its extensive use on high-rise commercial buildings to its universal application on residences—was not an area of energy loss but rather one of energy generation? On Aug. 17, Bayport, Minn.–headquartered Andersen Corp. and Redwood, Calif.–based Ubiquitous Energy announced an agreement to jointly develop window and door products that will generate electricity from solar power.

The products will combine Ubiquitous Energy’s UE Power technology, a patented, transparent photovoltaic glass coating, with Andersen’s 120-year-long history of designing and manufacturing windows and doors. “[O]ur vision is to develop products that go beyond energy efficiency to energy generation," said Brandon Berg, Anderson Corp. senior vice president, research, development, and innovation, in the companies’ joint Aug. 17 press release. "This is a powerful opportunity to leverage our industry leadership, product development expertise, and manufacturing capabilities to help bring innovative new products to the marketplace that will improve the homeowner experience and make the world a better place.”

Made with nontoxic, Earth-abundant materials, the UE Power coating harvests and converts ultraviolet and infrared light into electricity while allowing visible light to pass, according to a March video by Ubiquitous Energy. Applying the coating to window and door glazing essentially turns them into transparent solar panels. Ubiquitous Energy estimates the technology could generate up to 30% of a multistory, commercial building’s electrical load.

What if every surface invisibly generated renewable energy? from Ubiquitous Energy on Vimeo.

In January, Smart Buildings Technology interviewed Ubiquitous Energy vice president of strategy Veeral Hardev about its technology on SBT's podcast.

Andersen, which itself holds more than 225 patents, became an investor in Ubiquitous Energy in 2021 after participating in the latter’s Series B financing, according to the press release. Ubiquitous Energy has since validated the ability of its large-area coating equipment to uniformly coat floor-to-ceiling glass while maintaining the visible transmission of light. It is also “advancing its next-generation materials pipeline using artificial intelligence,” according to the same release, and actively fundraising to accelerate its commercialization efforts, which includes building a U.S. manufacturing facility to “supply the first transparent solar window and door units to Andersen and other partners and customers.”

In the release, Ubiquitous Energy CEO Susan Stone said her company is excited to partner with Andersen to create solar-energy generating window and door products for residential and light commercial buildings. “Our companies have a shared goal of changing the way the world uses solar power and positively impacting the environment in a big way without compromising aesthetics or function.”

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