A team of Michigan State University (MSU) researchers led by Professor Richard Lunt have developed a transparent luminescent solar concentrator, short for transparent solar cell, that is capable of absorbing invisible wavelengths of sunlight to convert into electricity.
Implementing the transparent solar cells onto surfaces such as building windows, car windows, and cell phones will transform the surfaces into power producing array that could potentially harvest a significant source of untapped energy.
According to Professor Lunt, there is an estimated 5 billion to 7 billion square metres of glass surface in the United States. Theoretically, if all the glass surface area had transparent solar cells implemented, it could supply roughly 40 percent of energy use in the U.S.
“Highly transparent solar cells represent the wave of the future for new solar applications,” said Professor Lunt. “We analyzed their potential and show 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.”
In terms of solar conversion efficiency, the transparent solar cells are reported to be around 5 percent, while traditional opaque solar panels are an average of 16.5 percent. Professor Lunt has stated that the transparent solar cells are currently about a third of their estimated overall potential.
To learn more about transparent solar technology, click the link below.
https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2017/transparent-solar-technology-represents-wave-of-the-future/
