China’s transparent coating to turn ordinary windows into solar power generators
“Researchers in China have created a transparent, colorless, and unidirectional solar concentrator that can be directly coated onto standard window glass and used to harvest sunlight without changing the window’s appearance.”
“According to the scientists, this unique diffractive-type solar concentrator (CUSC) selectively guides sunlight toward the edge of the window where photovoltaic (PV) cells are installed.”
“These optical qualities mean the coating can generate clean energy while keeping the glass clear and natural-looking, and ensure that windows remain visually indistinguishable from ordinary glass.”
“‘The CUSC design is a step forward in integrating solar technology into the built environment without sacrificing aesthetics,’ Wei Hu, PhD, a computer science and technology professor at Nanjing University and corresponding author, said.”