Strides are being made when it comes to solar energy in Denmark. The way solar panels are being looked at and deployed is changing rapidly, with innovative takes on an energy source that has been used for years. This latest development has immense potential.
How solar panels are being changed in Denmark
Transparent solar panels that deliver 12.3% efficiency are being developed in a collaborative project between scientists under the EU’s CitySolar project. They have been working tirelessly on this project, which has already resulted in record-breaking statistics.
These see-through cells are windows. There have long since been debates around this approach, as there is often a trade-off between the amount of power these can generate and the amount of light these windows can let in. The cells being developed in Denmark can generate as much as they do and as efficiently while still letting in 30% of visible light.
Solar-powered windows and how these could change our views on solar energy
That trade-off between power and light is being handled masterfully by CitySolar. Reports suggest that these solar-powered windows have seen efficiency improved by 50% compared to some of their predecessors. These transparent photovoltaics use layers and materials that capture parts of the light spectrum that have otherwise been forgone when it comes to solar cells like these.
Naturally, experts are buzzing because of what this could mean. The city is strewn with buildings that are covered in glass, structures like bus stations that use a lot of glass and get a lot of sun throughout the day, which could potentially become power stations. All this without having to construct large-scale projects that will take up space either on land or in the ocean.
Windows that provide solar power and what this could mean for nations looking to decarbonize
The major appeal lies in how the building sector uses a sizeable portion of energy, especially in Europe. Surfaces like windows that can generate power from buildings where people work or live will reduce disruptions in power supply and lower emissions dramatically.
The work being done in Denmark’s University of Southern Denmark (SDU), which forms part of the CitySolar project, also involves work being done in seven or more collaborating countries. The work is being limited to a laboratory setting with prototypes being fitted with transparent solar cell modules and test pieces integrated into windows instead of full-on installations, at least for the time being.
How are these transparent solar cells special?
These use a transparent tandem solar cell structure. Two types of photovoltaic materials are used. A perovskite layer that takes in near-ultraviolet (NUV) light is used in conjunction with an organic polymer/NIR (near-infrared) cell that takes in the light from beyond the visible spectrum. The energy is harvested from both forms of light, all while these windows let more visible light pass through them, so the windows continue to serve their primary function.
Managing this light is key, and the reflective coatings and optimized thickness of the layers all play a role in these cells, providing a 12.3% conversion of solar energy to electricity with around 30% visible transparency. In the past, other transparent solar cells managed lower efficiencies, often below 8 and 9%. CitySolar has struck a balance with its two-pronged approach, all while ensuring that the windows still work as windows. Scaling this project upwards will be a challenge, along with ensuring the durability of these cells and, of course, the costs associated.
Ensuring these are in line with building codes will be another hurdle, as solar-powered windows are one thing, as long as they don’t compromise things like the structural integrity of a building or home. Solar power has a clear future ahead of it, and should this project be tweaked and tailored to all demands and expectations it must meet, the power supply around the world is in for a large shift.