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Imagine if the windows in your home or automobile weren't just windows, but transparent solar panels collecting light energy and converting it into electricity? Such a concept could have a monumental impact on future hybrid cars, and could potentially shave your monthly electricity bill. If transparent solar cells existed, of course. Well guess what? Not only do they exist, but researchers at UCLA say they've developed a new kind of transparent solar cell that's better than anything out there.
The team of researchers constructed a new kind of polymer solar cell (PSC) that collects mostly infrared light as opposed to visible light, and that little trick results in cells that are almost 70 percent transparent.
"These results open the potential for visibly transparent polymer solar cells as add-on components of portable electronics, smart windows and building-integrated photovoltaics and in other applications," said study leader Yang Yang, a UCLA professor of materials science and engineering, who also is director of the Nano Renewable Energy Center at California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI).
It isn't quite the Holy Grail of solar technology, but it's definitely worth noting that past attempts at creating transparent solar cells have always fallen short in one way or another. Some were never very transparent to begin with, and others fell short on the efficiency scale due to the materials used.
The team at UCLA figured a way around these types of problems by turning their attention to infrared light. They also claim a breakthrough in developing a transparent conductor made of a mixture of silver nanowire and titanium dioxide nanoparticles, which effectively replaces the opaque metal electrode common in past attempts. The upshot is that the composite electrode is economically viable to fabricate by way of solution processing.
Image Credit: UCLA
http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/ucla-researchers-create-highly-236698.aspx
Comments are closed on this article
vrmlbasic
July 24, 2012 at 11:41pm
Hmm, if this blocked UV/infrared light travel bidirectionally than that could make for a pretty efficient window, leading to double savings. Less energy having to be bought to power climate control, and less need to control the contained climate due to superior insulation.
Though I'm sure it would take a zillion years for the savings with such windows to cause you to break even with the cost of them, and a zillion more years if you consider the "break even" cost to be the unsubsidized cost and excluding tax breaks for having them.
shyguyyetnot
July 24, 2012 at 8:01pm
One week later, news headline: "Apple sues UCLA for solar technology patent infringement."
Strayz
July 24, 2012 at 12:30pm
quick question.
What is the percent of effecentancy(sp) that the cells are, most commercially available cells are only 20-25%, I have a hard time seeing these being more than that with 70% of transmitted light passing through the cell.
sundropdrinker3
July 24, 2012 at 6:58pm
There's visible light and INvisible light, ie infrared light, which is what is stated in the article. As to the efficiency, I have no idea. Is infrared light more efficient than visible light, or vice versa? I have no idea.
bling581
July 24, 2012 at 9:49am
It's a very cool idea. However the cost of replacing a broken home or car window would likely be significantly higher than regular glass. I guess it's not a bad trade off considering the environmental and financial savings.
sundropdrinker3
July 24, 2012 at 6:55pm
How often do you replace your home and vehicle windows? I'm about to get my 3rd windshield(thanks rocks), but my insurance covers it. I've never had to replace a house window. I know that a storm(tornado, hurricane, etc) can break your windows, but insurance covers that. I also know random acts will break a window, but unless your luck is VERY bad, a new window every 10 years?
If I could shave $100 a month on power bill, then I'm in. $1200+ a year in savings.
warptek2010
July 24, 2012 at 9:27am
They didn't build that by themselves. A lot of other smart and hard working people did that.
chronium
July 24, 2012 at 7:11am
Don't forget skyrise's. They would have just as big of an impact as cars would.
USraging
July 24, 2012 at 6:43am
I need to get the lenses replaced in my glasses to power my smartphone.
