What Are Transparent Solar Panels?

Transparent solar panels, also called clear photovoltaics or clear PVs, are an exciting new advancement that could revolutionize how we harness renewable energy. Unlike traditional models, these innovative panels allow visible light to pass through while still generating electricity. This opens up a wide range of possibilities, like integrating them into building windows and creating power-generating touchscreens and car windshields. 

In this article, we’ll explore how they work, the different types being developed, and their potential applications, and then we’ll compare them to our traditional models.

Let’s explore this exciting new technology together.

How Do Transparent Solar Panels Work?

Transparent photovoltaics are a different type of solar panel that is totally clear. It allows you to see through them since they don’t absorb all the visible light. There are different types of transparent photovoltaics, including partially and fully clear ones, and they work differently. Partially clear models have semiconductors throughout the glass surface, similar to traditional photovoltaics, that absorb photons and generate DC electricity. 

The only major difference is that the semiconductors are thin enough to allow some light to pass through. Fully transparent models rely on newer technology, using organic salts that absorb only specific light wavelengths outside the visible spectrum. It allows all the visible light to pass through. That absorbed light is transformed and directed to the sides of the panel where photovoltaic semiconductors are found that absorb the photons to produce DC current.  

The Different Types of Transparent Solar Panels? 

Partially Transparent Solar Panels 

Partially transparent photovoltaics absorb 60% of the sunlight they receive and allow the other 40% to pass through so you can still see through them, much like looking through a tinted window. These typically have higher efficiency than fully clear models, at around 7.2%, but are still lower than most traditional models. 

Still, these have great potential for use in large office buildings with south-facing windows and residential homes in hot southwestern states, where tinted glass is often used to reduce transmitted sunlight, heat, and the demand for air conditioning.   

Fully Transparent Solar Panels

Where a clear window or touchscreen is needed, fully transparent photovoltaics are necessary since they don’t absorb any visible sunlight. Researchers at Michigan State University have used organic salts that absorb specific wavelengths of invisible light instead, like that in the ultraviolet spectrum. That light is then moved to the edges of the panels, where strips of photovoltaic cells convert it to electricity. 

The downside of this technology is that it’s less efficient than traditional and semi-clear models, currently at between 1% and 5% efficiency.

However, considering that they can be integrated into all our windows, providing them with a large available surface area without taking up any additional valuable space, this makes up for their lower efficiency. They could also be useful on screens on our electronic devices. 

Furthermore, technology is advancing every year, and who knows what breakthroughs scientists will develop in the future?    

What Are the Differences Between Transparent Solar Panels vs. Traditional Solar Panels?  

Traditional photovoltaics like EcoFlow Rigid Photovoltaic Panels boast a 23% conversion efficiency, so you can easily install enough of them on your roof to provide enough energy to run your entire home. They are rigid and durable and will produce clean energy efficiently for at least 25 years if properly maintained. 

The other traditional models are portable ones like EcoFlow Portable Photovoltaics. Unlike some portable PVs on the market, these ones are made with the same high-efficiency monocrystalline technology and boast a 23% conversion efficiency. This makes them a superior choice for travelling since you don’t have to compromise between portability and efficiency. 

The EcoFlow 400W Portable Solar Panel will produce just as much energy as the EcoFlow 400W Rigid Solar Panel but with the bonus of being able to pack it up and bring it with you. Then, you can bring it when travelling to recharge your EcoFlow Portable Power Station, allowing you to run appliances and keep your essential devices charged while on the road. 

Both traditional and transparent models use semiconductors that interact with electromagnetic radiation from the sun to release electrons that flow as DC current. The primary difference is that the transparency allows light to pass through. 

Semi-transparent models are most like traditional models with semiconductors found throughout; they are just placed thin enough so that about 40% of the light passes through, like a tinted window, but they only have about 7.2% efficiency.  

Fully clear models work differently because they have an extra step. In this case, organic salts are used in the clear glass that absorbs only specific wavelengths of light outside of the visible spectrum, such as ultraviolet light. That light is transformed and directed to the edge of the panel, where it interacts with more traditional semiconductors aligned in strips. There, they produce DC current just like semi-transparent and traditional models. 

Since they only produce electricity on the sides of the panels, they tend to be much less efficient than traditional models, around 1 to 5%, although research continues and efficiencies are increasing. These still have a long way to go before they become available in retail markets, but they will revolutionize renewable energy when they do with their wide range of applications.  

Applications of Use for Transparent Solar Panels

Transparent photovoltaics won’t be suitable to completely replace traditional PVs, at least not anytime soon. And sometimes, you won’t want a see-through panel, like on a carport roof, where you want the shade that traditional PVs would provide. However, there are a number of applications where they would be very useful. Let’s take a look.

• Building-integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV): When used in windows and skylights, we can turn them into energy-generating surfaces without obstructing views or natural lighting. These can be widely used in any residential home or high-rise building to help generate electricity to run them.  
• Consumer electronics: They can be used on smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other devices to top up their charge even while not on a charger.  
• Greenhouses: Clear photovoltaics will be excellent choices for greenhouses since they still allow the plants to receive the sunlight they need while generating power to heat or cool the greenhouse and run automatic irrigation, supplemental lighting, and other systems. 
• Vehicles: They can be installed on the windows and sunroofs of our electric vehicles to help top up their batteries, even while driving. 
• Outdoor Shelters and Public Infrastructure: Partially see-through models can be used on bus shelters, pavilions, walkways, and other structures to provide shade and protection from the elements while generating renewable energy and allowing visibility. 
• Portable Chargers: Clear photovoltaics can even be built into portable chargers, charging the charger while also charging your devices.  
• Military and Emergency Applications: Clear panels can be helpful in several circumstances, including providing power to field operations, shelters, and communication devices. 
• Aerospace: They can be integrated into surfaces on spacecraft or satellites where you want to allow light to get through still but also generate power. This will enable them to maximize the available surface area for power generation.  
• Consumer Products: Clear photovoltaics may one day be incorporated into wearable devices, clothing, and backpacks to generate power on the go. 

Are Transparent Solar Panels Efficient? 

Currently, most transparent photovoltaics are much less efficient than traditional models, usually between 1 and 7.2%. However, laboratory research has produced semi-transparent models with an impressive 22% efficiency, although it will be some time before those reach the retail market. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Transparent photovoltaics are a promising step forward in the renewable energy sector. In the future, we will see them transform everyday surfaces—like windows, windshields of EV cars, and screens on portable devices—into energy-generating systems. They work similar to traditional photovoltaics but typically at a lower efficiency. 

However, this is a brand-new technology that is still primarily in research and development, with some in real-world testing stages, so its availability is extremely limited. While we wait for the future to catch up with the markets, we still have plenty of great options. EcoFlow Photovoltaic Panels, with their high efficiency and durability, can produce power for any home or off-grid adventure.