Chinese scientists have developed a new method of harvesting solar power by applying a semi-transparent coating on top of the windows to direct energy from ambient light to the edge of the glass.
With the growing global energy demand, new technologies are needed that can incorporate energy capture into architectures. Since 2010, solar costs have declined dramatically, with over 4 million installations in the United States. This trend is expected to continue, but what if building windows could be used to improve solar utilization? That’s what scientists aimed to address in a study published in the Photonix Journal on July 28th.
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Instead, scientists at Nanjing University in China developed cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs). This is a colorless liquid that can reflect light due to its helical structure. CLCs are usually used in thermometers and color displays.
Multiple layers of CLC can be used to redirect light to create a colorless, one-way solar concentrator (CUSC). CASCs can direct light to the edge of the glass using CLC, where the light energy is captured by integrated silicon-photovolta cells.
The engineer applied the coating through an intensive cleaning process, where high-frequency sound waves were directed towards the glass, removing all impurities from there.
In the test, five CLC layers were applied to 1 inch (2.5 cm) diameter glass. This CUSC prototype was able to power a 10MW fan outside Nanjing, China over the summer.
The technology is predicted to be most effectively deployed in cities near the equator. This usually experiences more sunlight throughout the year compared to cities closer to Poles. It is unclear how this new technology will have a natural effect on sunlight heating the room.
The authors mention the proliferation of skyscrapers in this study. However, such architecture is limited to large cities, and there are indications that skyscrapers are becoming more popular. In 2021, China bans new buildings over 1,640 feet (500 meters) in height, and now imposes restrictions on buildings over 820 feet (250 meters).
It is estimated that a typical 6.5 feet (2 m) window with a CUSC could increase 50. However, it usually requires further testing to establish how performance is mounted to windows installed in modern homes or to the vast panels found in commercial buildings. There are unanswered questions such as how CUSC protects rain, hail and snow, bird droppings (acidity), window cleaning, and more. It has not been mentioned in the study of protective layers to protect CUSC. Such layers can create new challenges if added, of course, if they hinder energy capture.
Anyway, CUSC is an important advance in building solar energy capture and could form a critical part of the global renewable energy market if the technology is further developed.
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