Green Energy from your Window: Transparent Solar Panels

Imagine, just as the morning light brightens up your room and wakes you up, the windows through which the light passes also excite with clean, green energy. This is what researchers at Michigan State University aim to achieve through a truly novel innovation: transparent solar panels.

Transparent solar panels, as the name suggests, use conventional photovoltaic technology along with transparent materials, layers and electrodes to create a see-through panel. However, this is easier said than done. For an object to be transparent it must allow the visible light to pass through it, on the other hand, invisible wavelengths of light from the solar spectrum – such as infrared and ultraviolet (UV) light – can be absorbed by the panel. The photons from these invisible wavelengths of light can be directed to solar cells which then convert photons to electrons, hence generating electricity.

The applications of this technology are limitless. Many cities all over the world have more vertical footprint than rooftop footprint. An example of this are skyscrapers which have much more side surface area compared to rooftop surface area. Using transparent solar panels in place of conventional windows can, according to researchers from Michigan State University, power the entire building in a green and sustainable way. Additionally, it can even store spare energy to be used as a power reserve in the case of emergencies or power outages.

Transparent photovoltaic technology excludes the need for more rooftop/field surface area, unappealing aesthetics and high set up costs. Instead, replacing the former with benefits such as: no new areas required, unnoticeable aesthetic change and lower set up costs. Companies like Ubiquitous Energy have already started implementing this solution commercially by installing the panels just like any other window and connecting the wiring from the solar cells to the building wiring to provide energy. This showcases how easy these transparent panels are to install compared to conventional solar panels. Thus, the company is exploiting another benefit: the portability of the panels.

Unfortunately, this technology requires more time to be fully developed. Currently, the

efficiency of transparent panels is much lower than that of standard solar panels. This is because, as mentioned before, not all light is allowed to be absorbed, hence there is a lower power output. All the while, prices for the transparent solar panels are on average 30% to 40% more than conventional panels. These factors increase the amount of time needed to offset the initial costs, making the deal seem unfavourable to some.

However, there is simply no denying the prospects of green energy from windows via this revolutionary technology. As some further developments enhance cost effectiveness others focus on applications such as mobile phone glass, car windows, bus sheds and greenhouses. With such a beaming potential, such innovations are undeniably the future of clean energy production.