New discovery could turn any window into a solar panel
New tech could turn high-rise buildings into green energy stations
- Scientists at Nanjing University in China have developed a new transparent coating capable of transforming standard windows into solar panels.
- The innovation utilises a diffractive-type solar concentrator (CUSC) to guide sunlight to the window's edge, harvesting it for electricity without altering the window's appearance.
- This breakthrough overcomes previous limitations of low efficiency and visual distortion found in earlier solar window designs.
- The coating, made from cholesteric liquid crystals, could enable high-rise buildings to become clean energy power stations, significantly contributing to global green energy supply.
- Researchers aim to improve power conversion efficiency and optimise manufacturing techniques to make the technology more commercially viable.