Pilkington North America has agreed to collaborate with Dyesol in order to focus on the building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) market, it has been confirmed.

Dyesol is renowned for its innovative dye solar cell technology, which involves placing a ruthenium dye, an electrolyte and a layer of titania on transparent conductive oxide (TCO) glass, metal or polymer substrates.

The process, which is described as ´artificial photosynthesis´, is capable of producing significant electrical currents and is viewed as a major step towards replacing conventional glass.

Pilkington specialises in TCO and believes the tie-up with Dyesol will help it to push the photovoltaic power industry on to the next level.

"BIPV is an emerging market segment with great opportunity for utilising our TCO technology to bring photovoltaic power into building design," said Stephen Weidner, the company´s Senior Vice-President of Building Products for North America.

"The collaboration with Dyesol has the potential to bring a significant change in the value of architectural glass as we know it today. No longer will glass be viewed solely for its insulation and aesthetic properties, but for its power generating potential as well."

Dye solar cell technology was first demonstrated to be successful almost 20 years ago in Switzerland by chemist Michael Gratzel.