Letting the Sun Shine In: Solarmer Energy, Inc. and Joel Berman Glass Studios Jointly Develop a Solar Panel Featuring Textured Glass for Attractive, Decorative Building-Integrated Photovoltaics

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Generating solar energy from modular glass panels that are attractive from a design standpoint was the inspiration behind a joint development project involving Solarmer Energy and Joel Berman Glass Studios.

Solarmer Energy develops transparent, flexible solar panels for applications not addressable by conventional solar energy technology. Joel Berman Glass Studios designs and manufactures decorative glass for architecture and design. Together, Solarmer and Joel Berman Glass Studios have jointly developed an attractive decorative glass panel that is capable of generating clean renewable electricity.

The decorative and photovoltaic glass panels feature Joel Berman Glass Studios’ signature textured kiln-cast glass laminated to Solarmer Energy’s transparent plastic solar cells. The resulting composite panels are suitable for use in applications where decorative glass is desired and generation of solar energy is feasible.

The materials and manufacturing technologies employed by Solarmer Energy result in a lower cost alternative to traditional silicon-based solar technologies. Solarmer’s thin, flexible photovoltaic panels are capable of converting solar energy into electricity in a particularly cost-effective manner. Paired with Joel Berman Glass Studios’ designer textured glass, the ensuing panels offer architects and designers an attractive and affordable means of integrating photovoltaics into building applications.

About Solarmer Energy, Inc.

Solarmer is developing transparent, lightweight, flexible, plastic solar panels, which are expected to cost a fraction of what silicon solar panels cost. These solar panels will create new markets that are currently not addressable with conventional silicon solar panel technology. The first major applications for this technology will likely be portable digital electronic devices (such as cell phones and PDAs) and smart fabrics (such as tents and solar bags). Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), in the form of power windows, will soon follow. The company was founded in 2006 to commercialize technology developed at UCLA.

About Joel Berman Glass Studios

Joel Berman Glass Studios is a world-renowned designer and manufacturer of glass art for the architecture and design community, and offers leading edge solutions and collaboration possibilities to take any glass art project from concept to installation. From its design studio and manufacturing facilities located in Vancouver, BC, Canada Joel Berman Glass Studios offers kiln-cast and pressure-formed glass, and related complementary products, crafted to the highest standards and featuring designer textures, colors, hardware and design services.