Now transparent window panes can soon generate solar power for electricity

NewsBharati    12-Feb-2018
Total Views |

Washington, February 12: Use of solar energy has benefitted almost every state and each and every activity accorded with it has given the officials positive results. In same lines, according to a research, it is seen that transparent solar materials on windows could also gather as much energy as bulkier rooftop solar units.


 

Highly transparent solar cells represent the wave of the future for new solar applications. It is argued that widespread use of such highly transparent solar applications, together with the rooftop units, could nearly meet US electricity demand and drastically reduce the use of fossil fuels.

While analyzing the potential of these transparent windows, it is seen that by harvesting only invisible light these devices can provide a similar electricity generation potential as rooftop solar while providing additional functionality to enhance the efficiency of buildings, automobiles, and mobile electronics.

Pioneering the development of a transparent radiant, the solar concentrator when placed on a window, can create solar energy without disrupting the view. The thin, plastic-like material can be used on buildings, car windows, cell phones, or other devices with a clear surface. The solar-harvesting system uses organic molecules to absorb invisible wavelengths of sunlight. The researchers can “tune” these materials to pick up just the ultraviolet and the near-infrared wavelengths that then convert this energy into electricity.

These highly transparent solar applications are used for recording efficiencies above 5%, while traditional solar panels typically are about 15% to 18% efficient. Although transparent solar technologies will never be more efficient at converting solar energy to electricity than their opaque counterparts, they can get close and offer the potential to cover a lot more additional surface area.

If the world is aiming to move global energy consumption away from fossil fuels, need of such innovative and cost effective renewable energy technologies are essential. It is estimated that only about 1.5% of electricity in the United States and other countries is produced by solar power.

In terms of overall electricity potential, it is noted that there is an estimated 5 billion to 7 billion square meters of glass surface in the United States. With that much glass to cover; transparent solar technologies have the potential of supplying some 40 % of energy demand in the US about the same potential as rooftop solar units.