MIT researchers have announced
that they have created “organic solar concentrators” that could make
windows become powerful solar panels in as little as three years.
The
concentrator is mixture of two or more dyes painted onto a pane of
glass or plastic. The dyes absorb light across a range of wavelengths,
re-emit it at a different wavelength and transport it across the pane
to the solar cells at the edges. Focusing the light like this increases
the electrical power generated by each solar cell by a factor of 40.
The
advantages are twofold: the dyes greatly increase the power of solar
cells, and homeowner are much more likely to incorporate solar glass
into their homes.
