Origami Screen Turns Windows into Solar Panels: Prevalent Architecture's Ben Berwick Talks Solar

Prevalent Architecture has created a solar panel that collects solar energy and illuminates interior spaces. Founder and director Ben Berwick describes the technology and company goals regarding renewable energy sources, including

• The basic dimensions and structures of the solar panel and screen,
• The issue of reflectivity in solar panels and coatings and how Prevalent Architecture addresses these issues, and
• How their design has been received globally and what the timing looks like for production.

Ben Berwick founded his company three years ago with the goal of moving architecture out of the niche market and into use by a more general audience while engaging specifically with renewable energy sources. The Origami Screen is a way to bring architectural design and innovation to a larger audience while utilizing solar energy.

He describes the screen itself, which is about 20 millimeters deep. The solar cell is placed horizontally across the window and redirects light across the surface. An optical coating splits the light between infrared and visible light, reflecting the visible light back into the room and the infrared into solar energy.

He reminds listeners that health is related to natural illumination and therefore this product would have many applications from urban living to hospitals to work spaces. Currently they are hoping to go into production in the next three years with a prototype in the next year.

For more, see https://www.prevalent.archi/.