Transparent solar cells could allow for windows that generate electricity
Researchers in the US have developed transparent solar cells that could be another step towards windows that generate electricity while still allowing people to see outside.
Developed by a team from UCLA, the polymer solar cells produce energy by absorbing infrared light instead of visible light, making them 70% transparent to the human eye. The team made them from a photoactive plastic that converts infrared light into an electrical current.
"These results open the potential for visibly transparent polymer solar cells as add-on components of portable electronics, smart windows and building integrated photovoltaics," said Yang Yang, professor of materials science and engineering at UCLA. "Our new polymer solar cells are made from plastic-like materials and are lightweight and flexible. More importantly, they can be produced in high volume at low cost."
Part of the breakthrough is the development of a transparent conductor made of a mixture of silver nanowire and titanium dioxide nanoparticles. According to the researchers, this composite electrode allows the transparent solar cells to be fabricated economically by solution processing and also achieves 4% power conversion efficiency.
