As electricity demand from AI infrastructure and data centers outpaces grid expansion, building owners and utilities are seeking supplemental generation from every available surface. Total Shade Solar, an innovation initiative of Total Shade Inc., is advancing the commercial rollout of a window shade system that converts one of the most overlooked building surfaces—vertical glass—into an active energy asset.
The system installs like conventional window treatments but incorporates solar-generating material. On a standard 43 x 80-inch window, the company expects output of approximately 450 to 500 watts. Across a glass-heavy façade, that capacity multiplies window by window, giving commercial properties a practical entry point into distributed energy generation without sacrificing shading, glare control, or heat management.
“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 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.
Total Shade Solar 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 totalshade.com or watch the Total Shade Solar Shade System on YouTube.
