This is blogspammed PR that gets it wrong. This is a research project that is nowhere near production with many "ifs". Vertical surfaces don't make a lot of sense for solar since they get limited exposure. They'd have to be incredibly cheap to make financial sense.
Research like this comes out every day. 90% of the time it's not possible to make it practical.
A large fraction of the cost of solar is installation — the panels are actually a minor expense in most rooftop installations. So using windows, which are being installed anyway, isn’t all that crazy. It will work best on a South-facing window at a high Northern latitude or vice versa.
> the panels are actually a minor expense in most rooftop installations
I have had the questionable delight of seeing a specification made for a rooftop installation recently, so I know this is not universally true (even if you use an older type of solar panel, which is cheaper).
Totally agree. Took an HVAC course during my grad years and there's specific standard and regulations windows adhere to for houses to prevent over heating or cooling which means the view factor to the sun is usually way below optimal. I'm willing to bet the net energy required to cool a house during the summer is negative if you try to place the windows that is more solar optimal. But I can see this working for cities with tall buildings. But there will be new technology required to wire all these together properly for a building scale.
Research like this comes out every day. 90% of the time it's not possible to make it practical.