The idea is to use a completely transparent solar panel as glass for Windows, was in the air for quite some time. Imagine how effectively you could use a usual surface in order to produce electricity for your home. It is far more logical and more practical than to put the roof heavy and bulky traditional solar cells. And scientists from Michigan state University just managed to create the most transparent solar panel, which in future is able to provide US about 40% of the required energy.
“The solar panel is high transparency represent the future of renewable energy. We analyzed their potential, and it seems that by collecting only invisible light, these devices are capable of providing the same amount of energy as traditional solar cells. In the future these panels will be installed not only in homes but also in cars and even in mobile devices,” he shared in an interview with Richard Lunt, a Professor of materials science and chemistry at Michigan state University.
Richard Lunt, along with his colleagues were pioneers in the development of transparent solar panels. Delicate, reminiscent of plastic material capable of generating electricity, while in no way interfering with the review. The technology is the use of organic molecules developed by a team of scientists, which absorb invisible light waves. The material can be configured so that it absorbs only the ultraviolet or infrared spectrums of light. The effectiveness of the transparent panels today is only 5%. Traditional solar panels demonstrate an efficiency of from 15 to 40%. But the researchers insist that this figure can be improved.
Today in the United States only 1.5% of all energy generated by solar panels. In order to minimize the use of fossil fuels, scientists from various research institutions are constantly working to develop new technologies in the field of alternative energy. Researchers from Michigan state University has calculated that in the country from 5 to 7 billion square meters of glass surfaces. And if all that glass to replace the solar panels, you can cover up to 40% of the country’s needs in electricity.
Scientists believe that the energy future for transparent solar panels
Sergey Grey