Scientists Develop Energy-Generating Glass Windows with Potential to Replace Traditional Solar Panels

Written by Valdemar Medeiros

Published on 01/08/2022 at 09:59

Updated on 24/08/2022 at 19:31

A ideia é que esta tecnologia de células solares seja implementada nas janelas de vidro, para diminuir o custo de instalação. [Imagem: Yongxi Li et al. – 10.1038/s41467-021-25718-w]

Seja o primeiro a reagir!

Solar Energy Technologies Keep Advancing And Now American Scientists Have Developed Transparent Solar Panels That Can Be Used In Several Projects.

The proliferation of solar energy panels is a sustainable and revolutionary alternative to energy generation; however, there are still some barriers to their use. Now, scientists from the University of Michigan in the USA have created a technology that can facilitate the use of solar energy. The researchers developed a process that can make the creation of transparent solar panels capable of efficiently generating energy from sunlight feasible.

Glass And Transparent Solar Panels Have Efficiency Revealed By Scientists

The technology will enable the use of new surfaces for energy generation, which currently relies on silicone-based solar panels that are completely opaque. These types of solar energy panels work perfectly well in a solar farm context, but their utilization in urban spaces is difficult and they could never be used as windows.

The scientists have developed a new category of transparent organic solar panels with an energy-absorbing capability using a type of plastic, measuring up to 2m x 2m, in addition to creating processes that make it possible to scale their production to become commercially viable.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Challenges In Producing Glass Solar Panels

The focus of the research will now be to ensure a good level of transparency. [Image: Yongxi Li et al. – 10.1038/s41467-021-25718-w]

The production of this type of solar energy technology has a significant challenge, which is the micrometer electrical connections between the cells. The use of lasers to engrave the patterns can cause damage to the energy-absorbing materials, which are essential for the functioning of solar energy panels.

Instead of lasers, the scientists developed a layered model capable of solving this challenge and still achieving the desired micron-scale resolution.

To achieve this, very thin plastic films were deposited, with ultra-thin strips. The next step was to apply the organic and metallic layers so that, finally, the strips could be removed, developing the electrical interconnections between the cells.

Transparent Solar Panels Can Deliver Even Greater Efficiency

The results of the scientists’ research were positive: it became possible to connect eight cells, each measuring 4 cm by 0.4 cm, separated by connections of 200 micrometers in thickness, generating a module of 13 cm².

Additionally, the researchers managed to achieve an energy conversion efficiency of 7.3%, which remains consistent despite being at a meter scale, with 50% transparency and a greenish tint that would make its use suitable in commercial buildings.

The researchers also assert that greater transparency, which would be necessary for application in regular homes, is feasible using the same process. The expectation is that transparent solar panels will be applied between two layers of glass when they are commercially available.

However, there are still some challenges to overcome to reach a level of commercialization. Nevertheless, the researchers hope to achieve greater efficiency, which could be in the range of 10% to 15%, which is possible to accomplish in the next two years with advancements in technology.

Scientists Develop Energy-Generating Glass Windows with Potential to Replace Traditional Solar Panels

Solar Energy Technologies Keep Advancing And Now American Scientists Have Developed Transparent Solar Panels That Can Be Used In Several Projects.

Glass And Transparent Solar Panels Have Efficiency Revealed By Scientists

Challenges In Producing Glass Solar Panels

Transparent Solar Panels Can Deliver Even Greater Efficiency

The oldest tree in the world, alive since before the birth of Jesus Christ, is cut down in a scientific study and the case changes environmental preservation rules.

Seen from space, an image taken by an astronaut shows an unlikely oasis in the Saudi Arabian desert, protected by a terrain that slows the advance of sand, surrounded by green circles, remnants of an extinct lake and nearly 10,000 years of preserved history.

An entire island in the Pacific wants to surround itself with a colossal barrier against the ocean to try to escape increasingly violent waves and not be swallowed by the sea in the coming decades.

After ten days orbiting the Moon, science confirms that the astronauts of the Artemis II mission return with altered bodies.

With 7.4 trillion tons of artificial snow pumped in 10 years, an extreme operation could stabilize the West Antarctic ice sheet and prevent a sea level rise of more than 3 meters, but it would require snow cannons, ocean water, and energy on an almost industrial scale at the end of the world.

Peru built a tunnel at an altitude of 4,738 meters cutting through the Andes Mountains, and the road leading to it reaches 4,818 meters, making it the highest paved road in the entire world.

The reign of carpets in the entrance hall has come to an end: aluminum mats emerge as a new trend that hardly gets dirty, lasts longer, and improves the hygiene of spaces.

The construction of houses with cement wood blocks is surprising workers; it uses a direct fitting system without complications and can make the work up to 100 times faster than the conventional method.

The government announces a new clinical research program and outlines how the amount of R$120 million in investments will be distributed among hospitals and universities of the SUS.

Cities in the United States are slowly sinking, and the reason behind the ground subsidence may surprise even experts as buildings, streets, and entire neighborhoods begin to give way without visible signs.

Scientists Develop Energy-Generating Glass Windows with Potential to Replace Traditional Solar Panels

Solar Energy Technologies Keep Advancing And Now American Scientists Have Developed Transparent Solar Panels That Can Be Used In Several Projects.

Glass And Transparent Solar Panels Have Efficiency Revealed By Scientists

Challenges In Producing Glass Solar Panels

Transparent Solar Panels Can Deliver Even Greater Efficiency

The oldest tree in the world, alive since before the birth of Jesus Christ, is cut down in a scientific study and the case changes environmental preservation rules.

Seen from space, an image taken by an astronaut shows an unlikely oasis in the Saudi Arabian desert, protected by a terrain that slows the advance of sand, surrounded by green circles, remnants of an extinct lake and nearly 10,000 years of preserved history.

An entire island in the Pacific wants to surround itself with a colossal barrier against the ocean to try to escape increasingly violent waves and not be swallowed by the sea in the coming decades.

After ten days orbiting the Moon, science confirms that the astronauts of the Artemis II mission return with altered bodies.

With 7.4 trillion tons of artificial snow pumped in 10 years, an extreme operation could stabilize the West Antarctic ice sheet and prevent a sea level rise of more than 3 meters, but it would require snow cannons, ocean water, and energy on an almost industrial scale at the end of the world.

Peru built a tunnel at an altitude of 4,738 meters cutting through the Andes Mountains, and the road leading to it reaches 4,818 meters, making it the highest paved road in the entire world.

With 5.6 trillion tons of natural hydrogen beneath the Earth, 26 times the known oil and more energy than all the natural gas in the world, the new gold rush is already mobilizing Bill Gates, Amazon, and Petrobras.

U.S. researchers publish the first national map of natural hydrogen, placing 30 states on the radar and changing what was known about clean energy in the American underground.

Mataripe Refinery takes a decisive step in the energy transition by adopting solar energy, reducing consumption, and signaling a structural change that could impact the refining sector in Brazil.

Solar-powered ice factory in the Amazon that eliminated a 5-hour trip to Manaus, prevents the loss of up to two-thirds of the fish, and now ensures income for more than 30 riverside families.

Goodbye classic tiles: solar tiles lead a sustainable European trend that transforms rooftops into sources of clean energy, reduces electricity costs, and redefines the future of modern construction on a global scale.

The reign of carpets in the entrance hall has come to an end: aluminum mats emerge as a new trend that hardly gets dirty, lasts longer, and improves the hygiene of spaces.

The construction of houses with cement wood blocks is surprising workers; it uses a direct fitting system without complications and can make the work up to 100 times faster than the conventional method.

The government announces a new clinical research program and outlines how the amount of R$120 million in investments will be distributed among hospitals and universities of the SUS.

Cities in the United States are slowly sinking, and the reason behind the ground subsidence may surprise even experts as buildings, streets, and entire neighborhoods begin to give way without visible signs.