Researchers in Denmark have set a new world record in efficiency for converting sunlight into electricity by using new windows that allow light to pass through while simultaneously generating power.
Transparent solar cell technology has the potential to revolutionize renewable energy by turning skyscrapers and office buildings into power stations, leveraging their windows as solar panel surfaces.
The innovations stemming from the CitySolar initiative might also assist Europe in achieving its goals of ensuring that all newly constructed buildings become nearly zero-energy entities and completely decarbonize the continent’s construction industry by 2050.
Researchers at the University of Southern Denmark integrated organic solar cells with the material perovskite, achieving an efficiency rate of 12.3 percent, comparable to that of commercially available solar cells.
The global team mentions that the panels additionally boast a 30 percent transparency.
So far, transparent solar windows haven’t managed to capture sufficient energy to produce the required electrical output for a building, and they’ve also lacked the necessary transparency for practical application.
The CitySolar initiative claims it has now resolved these problems.
” Transparent solar cells might represent the next significant advancement in integrating energy solutions into buildings,” stated Professor Morten Madsen from the University of Southern Denmark, who was also a principal researcher involved in this groundbreaking development.
The expansive glass surfaces of contemporary office structures can currently serve as platforms for power generation without necessitating extra land or specific architectural modifications… This presents a significant commercial prospect.
Moreover, Madsen stated that both materials utilized in the cells are very cost-effective and have the potential to be expanded for commercial use.
Upon incorporation into the organic solar cell, the perovskite layer captures near-ultraviolet light, while the cell itself takes in near-infrared radiation.
Madsen stated that the dual-cell solar panel primarily captures energy from the infrared and ultraviolet portions of sunlight, excluding visible light. This enables us to establish new benchmarks for the efficiency of semitransparent solar windows.
This subsequently enables the light within the visible spectrum to pass through while largely maintaining the integrity of the visible spectrum itself.
According to Madsen, these two materials are very cost-effective, which makes this technology appropriate for large-scale commercial use.
The current Technology Readiness Level (TRL) for the project stands between five and six, indicating that it has progressed from the proof-of-concept phase to the prototype stage.
It has been granted nearly €4 million in funds from the European Union, and the team is presently negotiating with business collaborators to expand the manufacturing of the transparent solar panels.