Transparent solar cells let every window generate energy
In order to use solar energy at home, it is currently necessary to install solar panels on the roof or, if Elon Musk is successful, solar panels. However, Michigan State University (MSU) has other ideas. He wants houses to generate a lot of solar energy without changing the roof. How do I add solar energy to a building without it being visible? Use clear solar panels on each window.
According to Richard Lunt, professor of chemical engineering and materials science at MSU, It could replace rooftop solar:
"We analyze their potential and show that by collecting only invisible light, these devices provide a potential for generating electricity similar to that of solar energy on the roof, and provide additional features to enhance the efficiency of solar energy. Cars and mobile electronics. "
The benefits of transparent solar energy are obvious (sorry!). Adding a transparent panel to an existing window is easier than installing a frame and heavy panels on a roof. It looks better because it's an almost invisible system, and if something goes wrong with a shield, the owner can probably do it without help.
Each panel is a transparent plastic luminescent solar concentrator containing organic molecules developed by the MSU team. They absorb the invisible wavelengths of sunlight, which pass through very thin photovoltaic bands at the edge of the panel and generate energy.
Transparent solar energy is not new, but the best in the market today are colorful and not completely transparent and have a conversion efficiency of 7%. MSU Clear Panels achieve over five percent efficiency, and although they do not match opaque panels, they can be used in many other locations. Then what they lose in effectiveness can balance the cover.
Now imagine these transparent panels being added to every pane of glass in a skyscraper and every window of the house or car, and you can see the potential for invisible power generation. MSU also wants to point out that every screen we use can also use this solar technology, including the smartphones we all carry.
