Solar Windows : Fututre Energy Harvesting Technique

WHAT IS SOLAR WINDOW?

When you think about Solar Panels, you think of those large black squares that are mounted on a rooftop or in fields.

But what if we were able to start getting our solar panels to look like windows.

Sounds Impossible Right?

But Its not, A Michigan State University researchers have found the founded the solar panel which exactly looks like windows. Imagine tall Skyscraper harvesting energy all day with the help of solar windows.

HOW IT WORKS

Instead of trying to create a transparent photovoltaic cell, they use a transparent luminescent solar concentrator(TLSC). The TLSC consists of organic salts that absorb specific nonvisible wavelengths of ultraviolet and infrared light, which they then luminesce (glow) as another wavelength of infrared light.

It Captures the part of the solar spectrum that one can’t see with the naked eye. It Captures the ultraviolet and infrared parts of the solar spectrum and then infrared light gets guided to the edge of the glass. Glass edge contains very thin solar cells which converts energy into electricity.

USE OF SOLAR WINDOWS

“Any buildings containing solar windows will be able to generate enough power which can power the entire buildings. The building will still look exactly like the old building even after implementing the technology and that’s the most interesting thing about this innovation.”Professor lunt says.

The application of solar windows are not only limited to buildings, but it can also be used in automobiles. Electronics and other wide range of applications.

“It can be used on tall buildings with lots of windows or any kind of mobile device that demands high aesthetic quality like a phone or e-reader. Ultimately we want to make solar harvesting surfaces that you do not even know are there,” says by Blog of Michigan University.

Solar Windows can give our cities to harvest their own energy needs. It will make a very huge impact on the environment. Single Installation can avoid 2.2 million miles of CO2 vehicle pollution;12-times more than solar panels.