The solar power market has become bigger and bigger over the past decade. With solar powered panels scattered all over the world. Solar powered roofs currently being used in sunny areas throughout the world and much more to come. The newest innovation, solar power windows, is going to be the biggest change in a long time to the industry. Solar powered windows have been sought after for a long time. However, there hasn’t been a solar cell strong enough to maintain energy gain and also be translucent.
What are Solar Powered Windows?
In a simple definition, any window that is able to generate some to of electrical current from being in the sun’s rays is classified as a solar powered window. Ideally, we can replace all standard windows with solar powered windows. However, the full technology to support and make this a commercial product is not completely attainable yet. Currently, these new solar cells should be able to have some manner of translucency. What engineers are currently trying to establish is, a good balance between power conducted and a decent amount of translucency for a window. For now, there is still a balance that must be attained.
Goals for Efficient Solar Powered Windows
The goal for an efficient solar powered window would be a perfect balance of stability and cost. Stability being that the windows are still able to be seen through with the tint of the solar cells. While also balancing opacity, the windows must still generate enough electricity to have some type of efficiency. For a long time now, buildings have been developed with the idea that windows would have no play in the solar energy management. However, with this new technology beginning to arise, layouts of solar cells throughout a home can be more strategically placed while also maintaining cost and efficiency.