• Energy efficient transparent solar cell for electricity generating windows

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    A solar company in the US has come up with the idea of using energy-efficient transparent solar cell that will be built onto electricity-generating windows. They will be using Konarka’s plastic solar cells in building materials, including windows. They also built prototypes of windows with the solar cells between two panes of glass. The photovoltaic cells can be tinted different colors.


    Konarka makes organic solar cells made from flexible plastic. The advantage of these flexible cells is that they can be used for a wide range of applications, such as power-generating military tents, portable chargers for electronics, and sensors. But these organic photovoltaics aren’t very efficient at converting sunlight to electricity and won’t last as long as a rooftop solar panel, which is typically under warranty for 25 years. The company will now have to wait and see whether their ideas will be able to withstand all sorts of weather for at least 20 years.
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    [Cnet]

    Posted in Topics:Alternative Energy, Tags: , on May 9, 2009