[SM] Transparent solar panels

[RS Wood]

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.]

Links:
[1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYs1YWUAVuA (link)
[2]: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/energy/2015/08/150805-transparent-solar-could-turn-window-phones-into-power-generators/ (link)


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Posting to comp.misc, sci.misc, and misc.news.internet.discuss

[Lu Wei]

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."

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Regards,
Lu Wei
PGP key ID: 0x92CCE1EA