The demand for cleaner and greener sources of energy is on the rise across the world. The by-products of non-renewable sources of energy, namely pollution and large-scale environment degradation, have discouraged the use of fossil-fuels. From people to organizations; from pressure groups to governments; all have acknowledged the need to move to alternative sources of energy.
Solar power is one renewable form of energy which has been given special focus. From fueling drones to provide wireless internet, to powering an entire stadium, solar energy has made giant leaps in terms of addressing global power needs. But now, a highly innovative solar energy device is about to revolutionize the way we use glass.
It all started in August 2014 when researchers at the Michigan State University created a completely transparent solar concentrator. The invention could turn any sheet of glass into a live photovoltaic solar cell. What really sets this new technology apart from other similar solar technologies is the fact that this solar cell will be completely transparent. An MIT startup, Ubiquitous Energy, is closer than ever to bringing this mind blowing technology to a shop close to you.
The real challenge was coming up with a fully transparent solar cell. Photovoltaic solar cells produce energy by absorbing sunlight (photons). But a transparent material would allow all of the light to pass through thereby reducing the cell’s retention capacity to zero. Hence, scientists and researchers were never able to produce a fully transparent solar cell. Simply speaking, it was a challenging scientific limitation. But the new age glass solar cells use selective portions of light (not visible to us humans) to produce energy and let the visible portions of light pass through.
The possibilities are endless. Once these cells hit the market, they’ll change the way we look at daily-life glass objects. The cell can be laced on tall buildings which are covered with glass. Hence, they can power components of a building or an entire building once they become more efficient. Also, your mobile screen will be able to charge your phone. Not to forget, a time may come when your car’s windshield may power parts of your vehicle. In short, the technology has endless industrial, commercial, and household uses.
(Featured Image Credits: extremetech.com)
