With the changes in technology of the times, windows can now generate electricity. Some researchers have developed smart windows that can change color. When new smart windows change colors, they convert into solar cells. This is of great importance to the field of renewable energy.
Although the heat is scattered, the energy will remain in it.
Low-E glass is a feature of many commercial and residential windows in the United States. According to the US Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), these energy-efficient windows can be found in 80% of homes and 50% of commercial buildings.
However, these low-energy windows are welcomed for their ability to keep heat away from life and workplaces and provide good insulation. However, there is a potential energy characteristic that has not yet been developed. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) may implement it through technology.
Researchers from NREL have developed an electro-optic (solar-powered) smart window that can release heat from buildings while also converting it to solar energy. This smart window uses energy-gathering material perovskite, which is thermochromic, that is, they can change color from transparent to colored when heated. NREL scientist Lance Wheeler said in a press release: “There are thermochromic technologies on the market, but nothing really converts this energy into electricity.â€
When solar energy warms up smart windows, the molecules of methylamine are driven away, causing the device to darken. In this conversion process, NREL's smart windows are converted to solar panels, and they are quite efficient in producing electricity. In a proof-of-concept study published in the journal Nature Communications, the NREL team demonstrated 11.3% of solar energy conversion efficiency.
"There is a basic trade-off between good windows and good solar cells," explains Wheeler, who is the lead researcher for the study. This technique bypassed this. When there is a lot of sunshine, we should have a good solar battery. When the sun is low, we should have a good window. â€
Not perfect yet
According to Electrorek, 11.3% efficiency is promising because about 80% of energy costs in buildings are spent on heating, cooling and ventilation. However, despite NREL's solar smart windows playing a role, researchers still have to solve a problem.
The researchers created a 1 square centimeter device prototype that showed a decrease in performance after 20 repeated transparent cycles. This is a big issue that needs to be addressed. This is especially important before NREL's smart window can be used commercially. It needs further improvement because most existing smart windows can last 50,000 cycles. Electrek pointed out that at the same time, standard photovoltaic panels can easily maintain 80% of energy conversion efficiency in 25 years. Increasing the stability of the conversion cycle is a topic for further study by NREL.
The potential for smart windows to become solar panels is enormous, especially now that many companies are keen to convert renewable energy into 100% energy. In addition, as Wheeler pointed out, these smart windows can also be easily installed in cars, which may provide a choice of solar energy for future electric vehicles.
SUNLUX IOT Technology (Guangdong) INC. , https://www.sunluxbarcodereader.com