Photovoltaic Powered Motorization

Install motorized shades to control light, and use that same light to power the motorized shades. This seems logical considering the shades are in the window where they can be exposed to this abundant energy source.

Solar panels have been around for a long time and typically are made up of wafer-based crystalline silicon cells. Panels based on a silicon composition are rigid as a result and need direct sunlight to be able to generate power, hence the term Solar Panel. This hasn't worked well for window coverings that are installed on the interior since glass coatings and other obstructions lessen the amount of direct sunlight an interior-mounted panel could receive.

A recently announced breakthrough in photovoltaic (PV) technology changes everything. The magic is a solar photovoltaic (PV) panel that doesn't need direct sunlight to generate energy. DSSC, or dye-sensitized solar cell, is an exciting development in PV technology that uses a system similar to how plants convert light into energy in photosynthesis. So DSSC panels are able to generate power in low light conditions where silicon-based solutions can't, and will start creating energy at sunrise and will continue throughout the day even behind coated glazing.