For most of their existence, photovoltaic solar panels have maintained the same form factor: dark, opaque panels that are typically placed on the roof (or the ground) to convert solar energy into electricity. Scientists from Michigan State University have now developed a revolutionary new design that ditches the traditional form factor for a completely new one: transparent panels.
Solar panels with this new design could serve the dual function of both window and energy generator, keeping the elements out of buildings while they quietly generate clean energy. Although the idea seems like something you’d see in science fiction, Michigan State University researchers have made it possible through the development of transparent solar windows. The technology was developed by researcher Richard Lunt and his team in 2014 and has gone through several improvements in the decade since.
What’s more, this technology isn’t just in the conceptual or prototype phase: transparent solar windows are already in use in some places and are still being improved to be as efficient and effective as possible at generating renewable energy. However, the near-total domination of the solar energy market by conventional photovoltaic solar panels means that this new type of solar panel still makes up an extremely small portion of the global solar market.
Transparent solar windows work by allowing visible light to pass through and absorbing other invisible types of light, such as infrared and ultraviolet light. These invisible light rays typically have plenty of energy that can be converted into electricity by tiny, invisible solar cells that are embedded within the glass.
In the meantime, the solar windows will look, feel, and function like regular windows, all while they silently generate energy to help power the buildings they are installed in. Transparent solar windows could have a significant impact in U.S. cities whose buildings collectively use around 5–7 billion square meters of glass. Replacing all this glass with solar windows would result in a massive boost in green energy generation that would allow schools, offices, skyscrapers, and shopping centers to generate some or all of the energy they need on-site.
Once the technology is perfected, properly marketed, and popularized, we may be looking at a future where homes are powered by transparent energy-generating windows; skyscrapers with entire glass facades that produce energy throughout the day, eschewing the traditional solar panel for a more subtle and less obtrusive alternative.
Unlike traditional solar panels, transparent solar windows offer a way to turn everyday surfaces into clean energy sources without changing how buildings look or function. By transforming windows into silent power generators, this innovation could help cities boost renewable energy production without taking up extra space, supporting America’s clean energy transition in a smart, unobtrusive way.
As these solar windows become the norm, pairing them with stationary energy storage systems from companies like SolarBank Corp. (NASDAQ: SUUN) (Cboe CA: SUNN) (FSE: GY2) would help families and businesses lower their energy costs in ways that were previously unimaginable.
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