Fully transparent solar panels created

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    Researchers at Michigan State University have managed to produce transparent material that converts sunlight into electricity. Compared to previous conditionally transparent materials, this one really looks like glass. In the future, it will be possible to put it in place of glass in the window of a residential building and receive additional free energy, or turn it into a smartphone / tablet screen so that it recharges itself.

    Of course, a solar panel must capture photons to generate electricity to generate electricity. This means that it cannot be completely transparent. Therefore, previous versions of such materials were translucent . What's the catch?

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    The new material uses technology "solar concentrator . "The organic salts contained in it absorb invisible (ultraviolet and infrared) radiation. Once inside the panel, all the radiation goes into the infrared range. This radiation, reflected from the planes of the panel from the inside, penetrates to its edges. There, narrow strips of ordinary photovoltaic panels, which absorb light and releasing energy.

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    While energy efficiency in collection of test panels is 1%. Scientists believe that this figure can be increased to 5%. the maximum efficiency for opaque solar concentrators is 7%. Of course, it is very small, compared to today's solar panels, whose production samples efficiency reaches 25%, and in laboratories reaches up to 50%. But transparent energy converters can be installed in homes instead of ordinary glasses. If you imagine a whole skyscraper in which the entire surface processes energy, the resulting number will already be quite impressive.

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