U.S. Develops Solar Glass Coatings

People usually install a large-area panel on the roof to collect solar energy. However, this method is expensive and efficient. Now, simply adding a layer of coating to a normal glass window can collect solar energy and power it, without affecting the lighting at all.

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology developed the technology. They mix at least two coatings in a special ratio to make a kind of energetic material to absorb light of various wavelengths. After installing the solar cell on the edge of the glass, the mixed coating is applied to the glass surface. After the paint absorbs sunlight, it transmits light at different wavelengths to solar cells mounted on the edge of the glass.

This shaped material is not only suitable for glass but also for plastics and other materials.

Mark Bardo, electrical engineer and research group leader at MIT, said: "The coating can collect sunlight on large areas, such as windows, and then transmit it to the solar cells at the edge of the pane."

This paint can be made in color, it can also be transparent and colorless. Applying the transparent color to the glass window will not affect the lighting.

At present, most solar concentrators use large moving mirrors to track sunlight and produce high light intensity. However, large-scale moving mirror configuration and maintenance costs are high, and the entire device is bulky and wastes space. The advent of new gathering technologies has solved these problems.

Because the technology production process is not complicated and the material cost is not expensive, the researchers believe that within 3 years, it will be widely used and have a place in the market. In addition, this technology can also be added to existing solar panels, which is inexpensive, but can increase efficiency by nearly 50%.

Baldo said: "We think this is a practical technology. It greatly reduces costs."

Alaounda Gini, director of the Planning Department of the US Department of Energy’s Basic Energy Science Office, said: “This technology has low cost and is a revolutionary advance in the field of solar energy use.”

Tactical Gloves

Body Armor,Military Wear Co., Ltd. , http://www.chinabodyarmor.com