Transparent solar is a cutting-edge technology that gathers and uses light energy through windows or any glass surface, regardless of the angle. It has the potential to be a game-changer in terms of broadening the scope of solar.
In terms of engineering, researchers have created several means of transparent solar technology. Most generally though, the majority of them function more as a transparent solar concentrator, which means they are made to absorb specific UV and infrared light wavelengths that aren't visible to the naked eye and transform them into energy capable of powering electronics.
See-through solar panels are incredibly important as, in modern society, glass is practically everywhere. Ranging from the screen of your phone to skyscrapers, it's estimated that there are 5 to 7 billion square meters of glass surfaces in the United States. Imagine the sheer amounts of electricity that could be generated if we could tap into that power.
And that's not just on paper as transparent solar technologies are already popping up around the world.
For example, the Copenhagen International School's design utilizes 12,000 hued but clear solar panels all over the building, producing 200 MWh of energy annually -- that's apparently more than half of the energy the building consumes.
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