Pythagoras Solar

Imagine a world powered by ubiquitous solar where the buildings in which we live and work generate abundant and clean electricity while becoming far more energy efficient. That’s the future Pythagoras Solar envisions.

Today’s reality, however, is that only one percent of the world’s energy is produced by solar power, while fossil fuel-based power generators continue to produce billions of tons of carbon dioxide accelerating the threat of rapid climate change. How, then, to create the future as envisioned by Pythagoras?

Solar power is the most promising long-term, clean, renewable energy resource with potential to deliver 120,000 terawatts compared to non-solar renewable energy sources’ capacity to provide 7-10 terawatts. Yet, solar power remains largely untapped. While very large arrays of solar panels are being brought online to supply electricity to the central grids, obstacles remain in the application of solar power at the point where it can make the most difference—the buildings where we work, play, and live.

Buildings are the largest consumers of energy worldwide and among the least efficient. Leveraging solar power to design energy efficient and self-powered Green Buildings can lead to big payoffs in meeting environmental regulations, reducing energy consumption, and enhancing real estate value.

Pythagoras Solar was conceived at Precede Technologies, an Israeli incubator, which teams up scientists, inventors, and entrepreneurs. Dr. Itay Baruchi, an award-winning physicist, and Gonen Fink, a leader in taking Check Point Software from start-up to a multibillion dollar company, saw a business opportunity at the intersection of rising demand for Green Buildings and declining cost of Photovoltaic (PV) solar power. Their innovative product can be simply described as a solar window. It combines energy efficiency, power generation, and transparency in a standard form factor that can be easily integrated into conventional building design and construction processes to make Net Zero Buildings a wider reality.

Pythagoras Solar’s Photovoltaic Glass Unit (PVGU) uses patent-pending optical technology, high-efficiency silicon, and advanced materials to provide the industry’s first highest-transparency and highest-density PV power generation in a standard double-pane window form factor, known in the industry as an insulating glass unit, or IGU. The PVGU leverages the modularity and ease of installation of the IGU while controlling direct solar radiation and providing greater transparency to further increase the energy efficiency gains through reduced heating/cooling and lighting costs.

The first products are designed for curtain wall and skylight applications and can be optimized for elevation, location, and climate zone through Pythagoras’ proprietary software tools. Future products include colored roof tiles and spandrels.

Pythagoras’ PVGU brings a new level of design flexibility to the architecture, construction and engineering industries, enabling the creation of cost-efficient, aesthetically pleasing, self-powered buildings which will have a lasting impact on urban design. As an integrated component of building construction, the PVGU advances the deployment of building-centric power generation, advances Green Buildings to their Net Zero destination, and brings the world closer to the ubiquitous solar future that Pythagoras envisions.