Abstract
A study of photovoltaic solar window technologies is reported and it focuses on their structural features, functional materials, system development, and suitability for use in practical field applications including public infrastructures and agricultural installations. Energy generation performance characteristics are summarized and compared to theory-limit predictions. Working examples of pilot-trial solar window-based installations are described. We also report on achieving electric power outputs of about 25 Wp/m2 from clear and transparent large-area glass-based solar windows.
Highlights
In recent years, there has been a significant and growing research interest dedicated to the engineering and characterization of unconventional photovoltaic (PV) devices and systems.In particular, large-area transparent luminescent solar concentrators (LSC) [1,2,3,4] and solar windows [5,6,7,8] are currently receiving more attention
Most commercial energy-generating solar glass and solar window technologies suitable for building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) applications feature semi-transparent appearance and are most often not color-neutral. This is due to typically relying on the use of either amorphous silicon-based or dye-sensitized solar cell materials integrated into glass panel structures in BIPV applications
In concentrators relying on the LSC principle, the selection of luminophore materials is usually based on the requirement to harvest the energy within both the UV and the near-IR spectral regions
Summary
There has been a significant and growing research interest dedicated to the engineering and characterization of unconventional photovoltaic (PV) devices and systems.In particular, large-area transparent luminescent solar concentrators (LSC) [1,2,3,4] and solar windows [5,6,7,8] are currently receiving more attention. Of special importance is the emergence of newly-commercialized, semi-transparent photovoltaic technologies and building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems, which have been demonstrated in practical architectural deployment applications [9,10,11,12]. Most commercial energy-generating solar glass and solar window technologies suitable for BIPV applications feature semi-transparent (up to about 40% of spectrally-averaged visible-range transmission) appearance and are most often not color-neutral. This is due to typically relying on the use of either amorphous silicon-based or dye-sensitized solar cell materials integrated into glass panel structures in BIPV applications.
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