Transparent Solar Panels: Transforming Solar Energy

 Today, the impending climate crisis demands a switch to power sources that don’t use fossil fuels as their raw materials. Many researchers have proposed “personalized energy” as a solution to this problem, which pertains to on-site power generation. For instance, installing solar panels on windows, phone screens, and vehicles. But for that, you’d require solar products for home that are handy and transparent.

Enter transparent solar panels. Yes, they are real, and will soon pervade multiple facets of energy generation. Not familiar with them? Well, here’s a crash course on transparent solar panels.

 

Transparent Solar Panel – What Is It?

Photovoltaic glass or transparent solar panels promises to be the most cutting-edge, game-changing technology. As the name suggests, these are transparent panels that produce energy when installed in place of windows, mobile screens, or even car sunroofs. 

Scientists at Michigan State University (MSU) have already created a transparent solar concentrator back in 2014. And by the turn of the decade, full transparency for solar panels has been achieved. 

The panels can be deployed in a plethora of settings, from skyscrapers with tall windows to mobile devices such as laptops, e-readers, phones, etc. As these panels replace traditional glass panes, this technology can essentially turn all commercial and residential buildings into energy producers.

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How Do These Work?

Transparent solar panels may feel like a counterintuitive idea since solar cells must absorb photons first and convert them into electrons. But if a glass is transparent, the light would simply pass through it, rather getting absorbed. However, this new technology has changed the way panels absorb energy.

These cells selectively absorb a portion of the solar spectrum - invisible to the naked eye -, while filtering out the normal visible light. As per reports, researchers have already achieved 8% efficiency with 43% transparency with a carbon-based panel rather than one made from silicon.   

In practice, these panels are placed between panes of double-glazed windows, which generate energy when sunlight passes through. Commercial buildings usually have tinted coating to reflect most of the sunlight to keep the building cool. Thus, having a transparent panel converts this unwanted light and heat into electricity that powers the entire building. 

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Types of Transparent Panels

Transparent solar panels are classified into two parts – partial and full transparent panels.

 

·        Partially Transparent Solar Panels

Compared to conventional solar panels, partially transparent panels have a bit lower efficiency. However, the power generated can be ramped up by adjusting the balance between sunlight absorbed and transmitted. 

This can be useful in south-facing buildings, where there is a need to reduce the transmitted light. 

 

• Fully Transparent Solar Panels

Fully transparent solar panels closely resemble regular glass. It’s estimated that the efficiency of these panels will be as high as 10% once the commercial production starts. 

But efficiency here isn’t an end-all-be-all metric. Practically, lower efficiency only means that the window has to be larger in size to be viable. And as these panels will be integrated into massive windows in buildings, their low efficiency will undeniably be compensated by the scale of development. 

 

Parting Thoughts

Transparent solar panels are no doubt the next big step in the evolution of a great renewable power source – solar energy. Once its mass production begins, residential and commercial buildings will be able to harness the full potential of personalized energy. With the widespread adoption of these solar products for home, it could become the primary source of power, leading to reduced fossil fuel usage and emissions. 

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