Solar Windows Energizing Your Home
Dyesol, the leading supplier of 3rd generation solar technology, has developed a transparent solar cell that can act as both a window and an energy generator in houses and commercial buildings. According to Professor John Bell - a project collaborator from the Queensland University of Technology - “the new solar cell glass would make a significant difference to home and building owners’ energy costs and could in fact generate excess energy to be stored and sold”.
The solar cells, containing titanium dioxide, are coated in a faint reddish dye that not only helps to increase light absorption but also helps reduce the need for cooling. This innovative technology called “artificial photosynthesis”, allows light to strike the dye resulting in excited electrons that become absorbed by the titania ultimately producing an electric current.
Eventually, Professor Bell says, it will be possible to construct a house made entirely out of these transparent cells. According to AUT Institute of Sustainable Resources (ISR), a house made of the rose tinted windows could reduce carbon emissions by 50%.
Imagine this technology used on new skyscrapers where the majority of the building skin is typically designed with a reflective glass surface. Although current cells have a reddish tint, Dyesol says that blue, grey and green cells are in development. These new solar panels will be on the market in the next few years. Stay tuned!
Source: enn.com Via: Inhabitat
There’s already a couple of similar products like this on the market (Sunways), that are being used in glass curtain wall applications. They come in different colors and varying transparencies. This technology was also used at the Solar Decathalon by the winning German team. This is promising solar technology.