What Happened to Ubiquitous Energy? The Transparent Solar Pioneer

The idea of harnessing solar energy through transparent solar panels has been around for decades, but it wasn't until the 2010s that this innovative technology finally became a reality.

A team of researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), led by Vladimir Bulović, Miles Barr and Richard Lunt, released the first industry-wide-recognized authentic transparent solar cell in 2011

The Technology Involved

Unlike traditional c-Si-based solar technologies, this transparent cell adopts organic photovoltaic materials and a novel structure to selectively absorb light in the ultraviolet (UV) and near-infrared NIR spectrum and generate electricity.

For the initial version of this cell, it utilizes a molecular organic donor, chloroaluminum phthalocyanine (ClAlPc), and a molecular acceptor, fullerene (C₆₀), as the absorption materials. As opposed to the visible metal contacts in traditional cells, the electrodes of this cell use high-transparency materials and they are applied using coating and deposition techniques.

This MIT’s transparent cell also includes a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) that is made of alternating layers of TiO₂ and SiO₂, which is designed to reflect NIR light back into the active layers to enhance efficiency.

With these innovative elements, the cell can selectively capture UV and NIR light which is then converted into clean electrical energy. Meanwhile, most of the visible light can pass through.

Since this technology can be applied on transparent substrates such as glass facades and windows of buildings, it unlocks new, great potential to fuel solar deployment in urban areas where traditional space for solar installations is limited. In tandem with this, the development of building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) has been on a fast track to growth.

The Founding of Ubiquitous Energy

Recognizing the commercial potential of this technology, Bulović, Barr, Lunt and another partner, Bart Howe, co-founded the company Ubiquitous Energy in late 2011. 

Major researchers joined the effort and they brought their expertise to bear on further optimizing this technology through exploring various semiconductor materials and device architectures that could yield higher efficiencies and better transparencies.

As the name indicates, the founders aimed to seamlessly integrate this novel solar technology into everyday surfaces and transform them into solar energy generators. This is rooted in their broader vision of minimizing the urban landscape’s carbon footprint and contributing to the development of zero-emissions buildings (ZEBs).

The Development

Since its establishment, Ubiquitous Energy has been dedicated to driving the commercialization of its transparent solar technology.

In 2012, built upon MIT’s technology, the company used commercially available materials to develop its first transparent solar coating and branded the product as UE Power. This work also led to private investments and grant funding from the National Science Foundation.

In 2014, Ubiquitous Energy relocated from Cambridge, Massachusetts to Silicon Valley in the San Francisco Bay Area, commissioning a rapid prototyping R&D line.

With this R&D line, the company had made great progress and brought great improvement to its technology. At Display Week 2015, it presented first-time public demonstrations of its enhanced transparent solar cell technology and branded it as ClearView Power.

In 2018, Ubiquitous Energy announced partnerships with glass manufacturers AGC and NSG to fuel the development of transparent solar technology for residential and commercial windows.

Then in 2019, the company commissioned a pilot manufacturing line and started the production of its standard-size solar windows. From then on, the company’s energy-generating windows were installed on buildings worldwide, including its headquarters, projects at Michigan State University, Boulder Commons in Colorado and several sites of NSG. In the same year, the company certified a new world record performance for its transparent solar cell window with 9.8% conversion efficiency and an average visible transparency of 38.3%.

In 2022, Ubiquitous Energy had closed a $30 million funding round, including an investment from consumer window and door manufacturer Andersen Corporation. It also announced the plan to start mass production by early 2024 and a strategic vision to have one billion square feet of its transparent window glass installed globally by 2050. During the same year, it was also awarded the 2022 Green Company of the Year by the Business Intelligence Group.

Statistics reveal that the company has raised over $70 million in funding to date from private investors as well as national and regional agencies.

The Sudden Furlough

Despite its promising technology and partnerships, according to an internal email in April 2024, Ubiquitous Energy began furloughing employees, and by the end of the month, it had terminated their employment.

As of now, it appears that Ubiquitous Energy is on the brink of closure, with no public comments from the company regarding its future plans or potential restructuring efforts.

Why the Furlough?

As reported by public sources, the company’s peak revenue in 2023 was only $1.1 million, which is in stark contrast to the funding figure of $70 million. In other words, its revenue may not have been sufficient to sustain its operations and growth ambitions.

To delve deeper, the furlough mirrors the toughness along the path to widespread adoption of the company’s innovative transparent solar technology.

With the economy staring recession in the face, the higher costs but relatively low efficiencies of this technology are deterring some project developers, despite its ability to provide on-site clean energy without compromising aesthetics. Additionally, the installation of these transparent cell products may require expertise that further adds to the costs. In light of these factors, developers who had previously shown interest may now be inclined to explore alternative transparent cell solutions or apply traditional panels.

Other Solutions?

Actually, Ubiquitous Energy is only one play in the realm of transparent solar technology. 

Founded in 2014, UbiQD is another key player in this field. It leverages licensed technology from Los Alamos National Laboratory and MIT to develop its cutting-edge transparent solar products. Unlike Ubiquitous Energy’s coating technology, UbiQD employs cost-effective and low-toxicity quantum dot technologies to absorb, regulate and convert sunlight into solar power.

Although not truly authentic transparent solar solutions, thin-film technologies like CIGS and CdTe transparent solar panels provide a practical compromise by delivering relatively dependable energy generation at reduced costs.

With the ongoing development of urbanization, the demand for transparent solar solutions will not be stillborn. As a whole, the technology is still in its infancy and the future looks promising.