Cathedral sees light with solar stained-glass windows

A church in Canada has developed an innovative way of producing renewable energy while retaining its grand architecture.

The Cathedral of the Holy Family in Saskatoon, on the South Saskatchewan River, is the sunniest city in Canada, getting around 2,831 of sunshine per year.

Now it has moved to take advantage of that sun, by installing stained-glass windows capable of generating an estimated 2,500 kilowatt hours a year.

The work, which was developed by Toronto artist Sarah Hall and connected to the grid last month, features three stained glass windows fused with silver solar cells, which shade the organ inside the church while generating renewable energy to help curb its energy bills.

Hall believes the 1,013 polycrystalline solar cell project is a world first. The Cathedral had originally considered installing conventional, roof mounted solar panels but was concerned they would spoil the look of the building.

Speaking to BusinessGreen, Hall argued the project made business sense for the Cathedral as the costs were similar to stained glass windows without solar."The newly built Cathedral of the Holy Family would certainly have commissioned stained glass for the three large south-facing facade windows," she said.

"When we realise that there would be stained glass in these windows in any case it takes the decisions made into a new realm which is not simply about displaying technology but participation in a collective vision of the future."

All the cells in Hall's work, entitled Lux Gloria, were soldered into the glass by hand, coloured silver to match the artwork, and then permanently embedded. Each solar panel is a different size and shape to improve the aesthetic effect of the window.

Hall added that she hoped the project would provide a powerful example of the kind of building-integrated PV technology that is expected to become increasingly popular in the coming years.

She also said the solar windows also give a message about the Cathedral's priorities; "Christian stewardship and care of creation".