Organic Valley installed Pythagoras Solar’s photovoltaic integrated windows at its new headquarters in La Farge, Wis. The installation of the 20 windows, which provide standard glass window insulation, also help diffuse light while providing power for the building.

Many companies are working on developing building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), but Pythagoras is starting to move forward with a new technology. Last year it was awarded a GE ecomagination Challenge award—and $100,000 to help with commercialization and start-up costs.

This represents one of the more significant steps toward commercialization, since it’s the first Pythagoras system tied to the grid.

“The previous pilot sites were only monitored for power output,” said Nandita Geerdink, a spokesperson for Pythagoras.

The company has tested the units at other facilities, including the Willis Tower in Chicago. And since winning the ecomagination Challenge, the company has installed other pilots, but they weren’t tied to the grid, according to Geerdink.

The windows at the Organic Valley facility are integrated into a Fronius inverter and tied to the grid.

The windows use glass block-type units with strips of silicon-based photovoltaics sandwiched between the blocks to generate electricity. The units already are generating power.

“The units are performing very well and inline with our product specifications, and we expect them to produce 1.2 kilowatts,” Geerdink said.

Because of the optics in the windows and the photovoltaics, they allow diffused light to pass through, rather than direct light, according to Organic Valley’s Vice President of Sustainability and Local Operations Cecil Wright. That has an additional benefit of reducing the need to use shades and artificial light when there’s too much glare coming from windows, he said.

Since the windows use blocks, they also offer insulation.

“The u-value of the windows is competitive to other types of insulated glass units (double-paned windows),” Geerdink said.

Pythagoras Solar will announce more projects soon.

“We have a pipeline of projects for 2012 and into 2013 including larger projects. We’ll share more information once they are installed,” Geerdink said.