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Transparent Solar Technology Represents Wave of The Future | Solar Windows

Energy Harvesting Windows, Solar Panel Windows, Solar Glass Windows, Professor Richard Lunt, Green Technology Professors, Solar Systems Future, Energy Creating Windows

See-through solar materials that can be applied to windows represent a massive source of untapped energy and could harvest as much power as bigger, bulkier rooftop solar units, scientists report today in Nature Energy.

Led by engineering researchers at Michigan State University, the authors argue that widespread use of such highly transparent solar applications, together with the rooftop units, could nearly meet U.S. electricity demand and drastically reduce the use of fossil fuels.

“Highly transparent solar cells represent the wave of the future for new solar applications,” said Richard Lunt, the Johansen Crosby Endowed Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at MSU. “We analyzed their potential and show that by harvesting only invisible light, these devices can provide a similar electricity-generation potential as rooftop solar while providing additional functionality to enhance the efficiency of buildings, automobiles and mobile electronics.”

Energy Harvesting Windows, Solar Panel Windows, Solar Glass Windows, Professor Richard Lunt, Green Technology Professors, Solar Systems Future, Energy Creating WindowsLunt and colleagues at MSU pioneered the development of a transparent luminescent solar concentrator that when placed on a window creates solar energy without disrupting the view. The thin, plastic-like material can be used on buildings, car windows, cell phones or other devices with a clear surface.

The solar-harvesting system uses organic molecules developed by Lunt and his team to absorb invisible wavelengths of sunlight. The researchers can “tune” these materials to pick up just the ultraviolet and the near-infrared wavelengths that then convert this energy into electricity (watch a demonstration of the process here).

Moving global energy consumption away from fossil fuels will require such innovative and cost-effective renewable energy technologies. Only about 1.5 percent of electricity demand in the United States and globally is produced by solar power.

But in terms of overall electricity potential, the authors note that there is an estimated 5 billion to 7 billion square meters of glass surface in the United States. And with that much glass to cover, transparent solar technologies have the potential of supplying some 40 percent of energy demand in the U.S. – about the same potential as rooftop solar units. “The complimentary deployment of both technologies,” Lunt said, “could get us close to 100 percent of our demand if we also improve energy storage.”

Lunt said highly transparent solar applications are recording efficiencies above 5 percent, while traditional solar panels typically are about 15 percent to 18 percent efficient. Although transparent solar technologies will never be more efficient at converting solar energy to electricity than their opaque counterparts, they can get close and offer the potential to be applied to a lot more additional surface area, he said.

Right now, transparent solar technologies are only at about a third of their realistic overall potential, Lunt added.

“That is what we are working towards,” he said. “Traditional solar applications have been actively researched for over five decades, yet we have only been working on these highly transparent solar cells for about five years. Ultimately, this technology offers a promising route to inexpensive, widespread solar adoption on small and large surfaces that were previously inaccessible.”

The work is funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education.

Lunt’s coauthors are Christopher Traverse, a doctoral student in engineering at MSU, and Richa Pandey and Miles Barr with Ubiquitous Energy Inc., a company Lunt cofounded with Barr to commercialize transparent solar technologies.

More about Richard Lunt and MSU

Two 40′ Containers For Sale (SOLD) | $700 each| Austin

container 6SOLD!

We have two – 40′ foot containers for sale in Austin. They will be disconnected from their current location and ready for you to pic up 3rd week of May. You can keep the sloping added shed roofs on top or remove them. Some access holes have been cut through them for electrical conduit, and air conditioning, but are in great shape. $700.00 each..you must pick up with a flat bed rig and haul away!container 5

container 2Must act fast if you want one or both. They are on a first come, first serve basis. Will be available the 3rd week of May! 

We can design you something like these below that would make really great guest homes on your property, or full time homes for singles or a couple.

 

 

 

 

These empty containers usually go for between $1400 up to $3500 for this size!



Amazon | Camping World | Partners We Love

Special thanks to whomever purchased this product for their cows this week by first visiting our newly expanded, online store. Our goal with our new store is to facilitate our customers and friends by doing some of the shopping homework, and showcasing some products we like, have used over the years, that you may use when building one of our plans. If we earn a little commission from our partners in the process that is great too, it helps us cover our some of our overhead. I see our  new expanding online store as a win, win, win scenario.

Our customers and online friends have now purchased 49 items via our Amazon partnership since mid January, which makes me proud to do a small part in keeping the American dream alive.

 

When deciding which Amazon products to showcase, geared towards our clients/customers building one of our homes, we had no idea some of you would wind up purchasing items for your cows, trucks, or your diving trip, but all the items you see in this post were purchased because someone first visited our online store, and we thank-you for doing so.

 

 

 

 

 

We are also happy to announce we are now partners with Camping World, who offers a great line of Camping and RV gear.

Over the last half century, Camping World has become the premier one-stop-shop for everything RVers need to enjoy living and traveling in their RVs, as well as a vital source of products and services to help RV owners maintain and protect their investment. Along with over 10,000 RV parts and accessories, we also offer a full selection of new and used RVs for sale; RV and tow vehicle service and maintenance; collision centers; RV Spa detail and refurbishment centers; technical advice from knowledgeable experts, and hard-to-find parts.

Over the last half century, Camping World has become the premier one-stop-shop for everything RVers need to enjoy living and traveling in their RVs, as well as a vital source of products and services to help RV owners maintain and protect their investment. Along with over 10,000 RV parts and accessories, we also offer a full selection of new and used RVs for sale; RV and tow vehicle service and maintenance; collision centers; RV Spa detail and refurbishment centers; technical advice from knowledgeable experts, and hard-to-find parts.e uniquely positioned to serve the needs of camping and RVing families, whether they enjoy weekends outdoors in a pop-up trailer or live full-time in a custom coach. Our growing network of products and services gives you the security of a trusted, established name to turn to when you are ready to buy or trade your RV; when you need service, repair or professional installation; when you need ways to make travel more convenient or affordable, and when you need specialized accessories designed for the RV and outdoor lifestyle.