Please Register and login to reply and use other advanced options
Posted by RS Wood on August 9, 2015, 6:22 pm
From the «can you see me now?» department:
Title: Outfit your windows with transparent solar panels?
Author: Anonymous Coward
Date: Sat, 08 Aug 2015 10:55:55 -0400
Link: http://pipedot.org/story/2015-08-08/outfit-your-windows-with-transparent-solar-panels
Despite the immense potential of solar energy, at present, roof-mounted
photovoltaic panels are able at best to capture about 20% of the available
energy. And that despite research that has led to gains! To improve energy
generation, you either increase solar panel efficiency, or increase their
coverage. Enter a Silicon Valley startup named "Ubiquitous Energy."
Ubiquitous Energy produces transparent solar cells[1] using an organic chemical
process they call "Clearview Power Technology." They claim their panels cost
less than traditional tech and can be built 1000x thinner than a human hair.
The system captures ultraviolet and infrared light and lets the rest pass
through as it would normally.
National Geographic has a look at the technology here.[2]
Is this an important step forward in solar power generation, or does adding
windows to the mix constitute a gimmick? How do we get people more interested
in solar energy?
[Ed. Note: the article image chosen here is of an invisible solar panel placed
over the entirety of the text.]
--
Posting to comp.misc, sci.misc, and misc.news.internet.discuss
Posted by Lu Wei on October 9, 2015, 2:42 am
On 2015-8-10 2:22, RS Wood wrote:
...
> Is this an important step forward in solar power generation, or does
adding
> windows to the mix constitute a gimmick? How do we get people more interested > in solar energy? >
I can see its aesthetic value and a small portion of market expectation.
But it will not make an important note, as the article said, "There is
generally a direct tradeoff between transparency and efficiency levels."