http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/20/transparent-photovoltaic-cells-turn-windows-into-solar-panels/?partner=rss&emc=rss
Transparent Photovoltaic Cells Turn Windows Into Solar Panels
By: John Collins Rudolf
An article from Green, A Blog About Energy and the Environment
April 20, 2011
Summary
Recently, a new kind of photovoltaic cell was developed. It can transform a windowpane into a solar panel without obstructing the passage of visible light. Hopes for the future include turning skyscrapers into enormous solar collectors, and integrating the photovoltaic cells into other tall buildings.
For a long time, photovoltaic cells have failed because they block too much light (so they can’t be used in windows) or they haven’t been able to achieve high efficiency. However, the new photovoltaic cells are designed to only absorb the near-infrared spectrum. There is a possibility that these cells could transform light into electricity very efficiently in the future.
For the time being, the efficiency of the photovoltaic cell is around 2 percent. However, this is just a prototype model, and scientists predict that by further modifying the cells, their efficiency could be increased to about 10 percent.
Efficiency and light blocking isn’t the biggest challenge that needs to be overcome with these photovoltaic cells. Instead, it is the longevity of the cells themselves. Right now, the cells don’t have a long enough life to be installed in window panes. Photovoltaic cells need to be modified to last for 20 plus years, or at least the lifespan of a typical window. Otherwise it would be pointless to install them.
A professor of electrical engineering, Vladimir Bulovic stated that the longevity problem won’t be too difficult to overcome, and that it will be resolved within a decade.
If the photovoltaic cells are modified to last a long time, then it will be cheap to put them into windows. This is in part because the cost of installing traditional photovoltaic cells is mainly from the materials the cells are resting upon, not the cost of the cells themselves. The cost for installing new photovoltaic cells would be no different. And if these cells are installed in windows or previously existing buildings, then the majority of the cost would have already been paid for.
Transparent Photovoltaic Cells Turn Windows Into Solar Panels
By: John Collins Rudolf
An article from Green, A Blog About Energy and the Environment
April 20, 2011
Summary
Recently, a new kind of photovoltaic cell was developed. It can transform a windowpane into a solar panel without obstructing the passage of visible light. Hopes for the future include turning skyscrapers into enormous solar collectors, and integrating the photovoltaic cells into other tall buildings.
For a long time, photovoltaic cells have failed because they block too much light (so they can’t be used in windows) or they haven’t been able to achieve high efficiency. However, the new photovoltaic cells are designed to only absorb the near-infrared spectrum. There is a possibility that these cells could transform light into electricity very efficiently in the future.
For the time being, the efficiency of the photovoltaic cell is around 2 percent. However, this is just a prototype model, and scientists predict that by further modifying the cells, their efficiency could be increased to about 10 percent.
Efficiency and light blocking isn’t the biggest challenge that needs to be overcome with these photovoltaic cells. Instead, it is the longevity of the cells themselves. Right now, the cells don’t have a long enough life to be installed in window panes. Photovoltaic cells need to be modified to last for 20 plus years, or at least the lifespan of a typical window. Otherwise it would be pointless to install them.
A professor of electrical engineering, Vladimir Bulovic stated that the longevity problem won’t be too difficult to overcome, and that it will be resolved within a decade.
If the photovoltaic cells are modified to last a long time, then it will be cheap to put them into windows. This is in part because the cost of installing traditional photovoltaic cells is mainly from the materials the cells are resting upon, not the cost of the cells themselves. The cost for installing new photovoltaic cells would be no different. And if these cells are installed in windows or previously existing buildings, then the majority of the cost would have already been paid for.
Dr. Lunt believes that the power photovoltaic cells generate could “offset the energy use of large buildings.” The cells wouldn’t power the whole building, but rather be used for lighting and everyday electronics.
All in all, these new photovoltaic cells have great potential.
Opinion/Reflection
I personally think that these photovoltaic cells are really cool. Since coal is going to run out maybe not in the near future, but eventually, it is great that scientists are coming up with other ways to get energy. Photovoltaic cells are a very interesting form of alternative energy that I think could be very beneficial to us when they are modified to be more effective and have a longer life.
I think it’s amazing that little photovoltaic cells can generate so much energy. They’re also extremely transparent, thus they won’t block light from shining through windows. This quality makes them perfect to install in large buildings, which are often built from head to toe with windows.
I was surprised when I read that the efficiency rate of the cells is only 2 percent. Yes, what the percentage is based off of is a prototype, but still, I expected it to be much higher, especially because of the way in which the article highly praises the photovoltaic cells.
Even though Mr. Bulovic is extremely optimistic about being able to engineer the cells so that they have a longer life, I don’t think it’s so easy. I’m not a scientist or anything, but I feel like that would be a pretty difficult challenge to overcome. However, he does state that the task could be accomplished in “a decade” or so. The article may be very optimistic about photovoltaic cells, but figuring out the longevity issue is one they can’t hide. Unless you read the article carefully, though, you may not have caught what he said.
Finally, I just have to say that I think the whole idea of photovoltaic cells is really great. While it may take a while for them to be modified to have a longer life and higher efficiency rate, I believe it could eventually be done. When those modifications are accomplished, the photovoltaic cells are going to be extremely beneficial and I feel that they will be installed in lots of buildings in the future.
This article relates to class because it talks about a type of alternative energy that has recently been developed. While it was not an energy source we learned about in class, it is a source other than coal that generates energy, so it can be considered an alternative energy source. In fact, photovoltaic cells are one of the forms of alternative energy that I find most interesting.
Ask Questions
1) Do you think photovoltaic cells are a good invention? When they are further modified, do you think they could be beneficial?
2) Are you as optimistic as Bulovic about extending the lifespan of photovoltaic cells?
3) About how much energy (do you think) could be generated if photovoltaic cells were installed in a typical New York City skyscraper?
4) Do you think that the energy photovoltaic cells generate would be enough to support people living in a single home (if they have these cells installed in all their windows)?
5) When these photovoltaic cells are finally sold, do you think they will be popular?
6) What problems can you think of involving photovoltaic cells?
Add a graphic
The above graphic is a picture of Dr. Lunt looking through a transparent photovoltaic solar cell.
All in all, these new photovoltaic cells have great potential.
Opinion/Reflection
I personally think that these photovoltaic cells are really cool. Since coal is going to run out maybe not in the near future, but eventually, it is great that scientists are coming up with other ways to get energy. Photovoltaic cells are a very interesting form of alternative energy that I think could be very beneficial to us when they are modified to be more effective and have a longer life.
I think it’s amazing that little photovoltaic cells can generate so much energy. They’re also extremely transparent, thus they won’t block light from shining through windows. This quality makes them perfect to install in large buildings, which are often built from head to toe with windows.
I was surprised when I read that the efficiency rate of the cells is only 2 percent. Yes, what the percentage is based off of is a prototype, but still, I expected it to be much higher, especially because of the way in which the article highly praises the photovoltaic cells.
Even though Mr. Bulovic is extremely optimistic about being able to engineer the cells so that they have a longer life, I don’t think it’s so easy. I’m not a scientist or anything, but I feel like that would be a pretty difficult challenge to overcome. However, he does state that the task could be accomplished in “a decade” or so. The article may be very optimistic about photovoltaic cells, but figuring out the longevity issue is one they can’t hide. Unless you read the article carefully, though, you may not have caught what he said.
Finally, I just have to say that I think the whole idea of photovoltaic cells is really great. While it may take a while for them to be modified to have a longer life and higher efficiency rate, I believe it could eventually be done. When those modifications are accomplished, the photovoltaic cells are going to be extremely beneficial and I feel that they will be installed in lots of buildings in the future.
This article relates to class because it talks about a type of alternative energy that has recently been developed. While it was not an energy source we learned about in class, it is a source other than coal that generates energy, so it can be considered an alternative energy source. In fact, photovoltaic cells are one of the forms of alternative energy that I find most interesting.
Ask Questions
1) Do you think photovoltaic cells are a good invention? When they are further modified, do you think they could be beneficial?
2) Are you as optimistic as Bulovic about extending the lifespan of photovoltaic cells?
3) About how much energy (do you think) could be generated if photovoltaic cells were installed in a typical New York City skyscraper?
4) Do you think that the energy photovoltaic cells generate would be enough to support people living in a single home (if they have these cells installed in all their windows)?
5) When these photovoltaic cells are finally sold, do you think they will be popular?
6) What problems can you think of involving photovoltaic cells?
Add a graphic
The above graphic is a picture of Dr. Lunt looking through a transparent photovoltaic solar cell.
Just 2%? Who cares if they only have 2% efficiency? That's way more than the 0% efficiency of normal windows. If engineers are able to raise their longevity, and keep their cost at a reasonable amount, then I think these may soon be ubiquitous.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest downside of current home solar panels is that their initial cost is often prohibitively expensive, and something that not many families, such as mine, can afford. I think that, with improvements, this new technology will enable everyone to have solar panels installed in (on?) their homes, greatly cutting down on fossil fuel usage. I think it's really exciting that (partially, at the very least) solar-powered homes could soon become the rule and not the exception. Now if only they could do that with wind turbines...
1) Very, with is extremely uncharacteristic of me. Since this is just a prototype, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect vast gains in the cells efficiency - perhaps even as high as 20%. And once corporations jump on this technology, it will only improve more.
2) A 19th century inventor had a similar problem with the longevity of his early prototypes. But he kept experimenting and experimenting, and now his invention - lightbulbs - can last up to nine years, and are completely ubiquitous.
3) I have absolutely no clue. I lack so much information - the number of cells that could fit on this skyscraper, how much sunlight the windows would receive, how much energy these cells produce.
4) It depends how many windows they have, their energy consumption, how much sunlight they receive, and how much energy their windows generate. My house has loads of windows, and my mom is a bit of an electricity Nazi, so I think we could do it, with the proper technology. But then again, with the proper technology, one can do anything.
5) I think they will be popular among new constructions and people replacing broken windows, but it will probably be difficult to get people to replace their perfectly good windows with new ones. Windows (and their installation) are expensive, and I don't imagine these cells are going to be any cheaper than the average window.
6) Durability and strength could be an issue. Will these cells be able to hold up to rain, snow, and stray baseballs? Will they be able to withstanding freezing in cold weather? Or, for that matter, keep the warm air in and cold air out properly? The electricity gains would be wasted if they went right back into heating or cooling the building.
I was curios, so I searched how the cells harvest energy while remaining transparent, and found this:
http://cunhaenvirosci.wikispaces.com/file/view/photovoltaic_compon_cell_inside.gif/74701661/photovoltaic_compon_cell_inside.gif
I can't understand most of what's written, but the pictures are pretty and communicate most of what's going on.
Reflection
ReplyDeleteThis just on a whole looks super-mega-awesome. And I love the picture. I think this could be a really interesting way to convince people to install solar panels. Some people want to buy them, but they take up too much space. Now you can simply have a solar panel for every window in your office! No extra space needed! Now, of course, they just have to make it practical. Oh, and Kate, I like your comment about stray baseballs.
Responses
1) Kinda already answered that one. Pun intended.
2) I never expected to be able to hold something as powerful and small as an iPod nano in my lifetime, but now I have one with my name etched on it by a beam of light, so yeah, I think anything's possible.
3) Maybe enough to power a car from one end of the Brooklyn Bridge to the other. For once in my life, I'm NOT going to do the math!
4) Maybe once the 10% models come out, but I'm going to say probably not. Houses use A LOT of power, and not all of it is at the daylight hours.
5) Maybe not at first, depending on cost
6) I agree with Kate, if your windows get blown out or blocked or something, then you're in a bit of a pickle. Also, they wouldn't work at nighttime. They'd have to be super-efficient so they could store energy and produce it at the same time during the day.
All right I have tried to comment on this blog twice so I hope this one works.
ReplyDeleteI think that this could end up being a very profitable invention and I think that the possibility for success of this device is very large, if they can fix the fatal flaws of this device such as the durability and efficency issues.
1) I think this invention is a very good idea and will end up being very beneficial if and only if they can fix the durability and efficency issues as this invention is currently not worth the price that must be paid for it.
2)I think that the lifespan but unless they already know what is wrong with the cell that is causing this lifespan issue than they can probably fix it within the decade but if they don't then they probably would be unable to fix it quickly.
3)I cannot really put that much energy into a measured amount, but I assume it would be enough to power my apartment for about 2-4 weeks on just one day's energy.
4)The way that the cells work currently, no not in any way, shape, or form. But if they can fix the large flaws then yes I think that the cells would easily support such a family. (provided they are not an extremely wasteful family.)
5)I think they would be extremely popular with people who can afford them but if they cannot I think it will have a dip in popularity. All in all I think that it will be pretty popular if they can make the price affordable enough.
6)The only ones I can think of are the current problems such as durability and the life span problem.