CHICAGO — Every commercial tower has thousands of square feet of glass that does nothing but block sun. Total Shade Solar, an innovation initiative of Total Shade Inc., is moving to change that as it advances the commercial rollout of a window shade system that generates electricity — converting one of a building's most overlooked surfaces into an active energy asset.
The timing is deliberate. Electricity demand from AI infrastructure and data centers is climbing faster than the grid can expand, pushing building owners and utilities to look for supplemental generation wherever it can be found. Vertical glass — abundant, sun-exposed, and historically limited to glare control and heat management — represents one of the largest untapped surface areas in the built environment.
Total Shade Solar's system addresses that gap with solar-generating shade material that installs where conventional window treatments already go. On a standard 43 x 80-inch window, the company expects output of approximately 450 to 500 watts — and across a glass-heavy façade, that capacity multiplies window by window, giving commercial properties a practical entry point into distributed energy generation without sacrificing the shading, glare control, and heat management the products already provide.
"Data centers are intensifying the need for every viable form of distributed power generation," said Dave Westby, President of Total Shade Inc. "If a building has large expanses of glass, those surfaces should do more than manage glare and heat. They should produce electricity."
The system is designed to complement — not replace — utility service or primary data center power architecture. It fits within a layered energy strategy alongside on-site generation, storage, energy efficiency measures, and building controls, adding a generation layer at the window line that most energy plans leave untouched.
The company anticipates strong interest from commercial developers, engineers, smart building designers, data center-adjacent properties, and urban facilities seeking new ways to add supplemental on-site power. Details on product availability, pilot deployments, and commercial rollout timing will be announced as the launch progresses.
For more information, visit Total Shade or watch the Total Shade Solar Shade System on YouTube.
