MIT Researchers have developed a new type of transparent solar cell. You might be
You might be wondering, if solar panels absorb sunlight then how is it possible to make them transparent unless they are extremely inefficient? Well, light from the sun contains more than just visible light; it also contains ultraviolet rays and infrared rays which are invisible to the human eye. Transparent solar cells work by absorbing these forms of the electromagnetic spectrum instead of the traditional visible light rays, making the solar cells transparent.
Since that breakthrough in transparent solar cells, research on the topic has continued. MIT start up company began to create a similar product. Their vision was to use the solar panel on electronic displays, such as on cell phones and tablets.
Using a transparent solar cell to (barely) power a digital clock
But now, “windows that double as solar panels could soon be a reality following a breakthrough in quantum dot research that could have significant implications on the way the sun’s energy is harvested in the future. Researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and the University of Milano-Bicocca have created a new type of quantum dot that can be embedded into transparent polymers (like glass or plastic) to absorb the sun’s energy. This type of transparent solar cell is different from the previously mentioned solar cells that absorbed energy from the non-visible spectrum of light. This type of solar cell uses something called “large-area luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs)” that take advantage of the new type of quantum dots. Instead of having the transparent solar cell absorb light energy directly, the LCSs “captures” light energy and transports it through the quantum dots to solar cells at the edge of the transparent material.
Researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and the University of Milano-Bicocca have created a new type of quantum dot that can be embedded into transparent polymers (like glass or plastic) to absorb the sun’s energy. This type of transparent solar cell is different from the previously mentioned solar cells that absorbed energy from the non-visible spectrum of light. This type of solar cell uses something called “large-area luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs)” that take advantage of the new type of quantum dots. Instead of having the transparent solar cell absorb light energy directly, the LCSs “captures” light energy and transports it through the quantum dots to solar cells at the edge of the transparent material.
So essentially, this isn’t a new type of solar cell, it’s just a new way of redirecting and focusing the light energy onto the solar cells. “Sunlight captured is radiated through the LSC towards a small solar cell on the slab’s edge, which increases power efficiency in a way that could have broad applications in future solar cells.
Soon devices will be able charge themselves.
for more details visit: http://gsl.mit.edu/