An international research team has achieved a record efficiency for transparent solar cells.
Researchers in the EU-funded CitySolar project, which includes nine partners from seven countries, developed a solar cell that generates electricity while allowing light to pass through.
The device integrates perovskite and organic solar cells, enabling it to capture different parts of the light spectrum.
“The tandem solar cell mainly harvests energy from the infrared and ultraviolet parts of the sun's rays, but not from visible light,” said Prof. Morten Madsen from the University of Southern Denmark. “This allows us to set new efficiency standards for semi-transparent solar windows.”
Madsen, one of the lead researchers on the project, said the technology is also highly affordable, thanks to the cost-effectiveness of the mineral perovskite and carbon-based materials in organic solar cells. But he stressed that the main commercial challenge lies in balancing cost, aesthetics, and efficiency.
The CitySolar team expects transparent solar cells to play a key role in building-integrated energy solutions. Since the cells allow light to pass through, they can function as standard windows and be integrated into buildings without altering architectural designs.
Madsen said the team is in talks with industry partners on the next steps and that further investment is needed to scale the technology for commercial use.
“We can scale up what we have, but we need business partners,” Madsen said. “And there are still research improvements to be made but importantly, we know where the challenges lie and have a clear strategy for overcoming them.”
The Italian National Research Council coordinates the CitySolar project, which includes partners such as the University of Southern Denmark, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, and the University of Rome Tor Vergata. The participating research institutes include the Paris-based Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.
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