Here are some key areas where transparent solar panels could find wide application: Buildings and Architecture: Transparent solar panels can be integrated into building facades, windows, and skylights, transforming them into energy-generating surfaces.
Fully transparent solar panels are made from materials that allow all light to pass through. Solar windows are being created using many methods, much like solar roof panels are now made using several technologies (including Tesla’s solar tiles and other technologies). Transparent solar panel technology is still in its early stages.
Well, clever scientists around the world have spotted a window of opportunity; transparent solar panels. That’s right – panes of glass that can convert the sun’s light into energy, without being nearly as obvious as traditional solar panels.
For instance, the transparent solar panels produced by PolySolar allow about 40% of visible light to pass through, whilst absorbing the other 60% and converting it into electricity. This means that partially transparent solar panels fundamentally work in the same way as traditional solar panels.
However, traditional solar panels have one major downside: they’re not very aesthetically pleasing. This is where transparent solar panels come in. They are made with a new type of solar cell that is able to absorb light without being darkened by it. This means that the panels can be used on windows and other transparent surfaces.
There are only a handful of companies in the UK that install transparent solar panels at domestic properties, as it’s still a relatively new and unknown technology. Polysolar specialises in transparent solar glass for building integration.