I am writing this during Climate Week, 2019, where the general mood is frustration that while most of the world – and most youth – are concerned about the impacts of climate change affecting us, the political and business leaders of the world have done little, and certainly not enough to forestall what many scientists believe will be huge, life-changing adverse impacts. I happen to be an optimist about this. I think, as a planet, Earth will be impacted negatively. But I do think we will eventually address the issues, no thanks to current politicians, because of the great gains in technology. Technologies are beginning to be developed to develop clean energy, GHG-free, and cheaply and reliably. Here are a few new technologies soon to come out that may make a difference.

Work at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, CO focuses on taking the weak point of any building, windows (takes up much space, but tends to leak air more than any other part of a building), and not only improve its characteristics, but see if it can have a positive energy role for a building. Their research is attempting to turn windows into solar panels. While light-absorbing films on windows have altered the light that comes through a window and attempted to use the radiation to form energy, such solar windows tend to have an unattractive brown tint.

New solar window technologies are able to absorb almost exclusively invisible UV or IR radiation, allowing the glass to appear clear while blocking the radiation that would add to the heating load during the cooling season. The portion of the film that absorbs radiation is called perovskites, which are cheaper than silicon and, in the laboratory, almost as efficient in converting radiation to electricity. Therefore, it is possible as development advances that buildings can create some or most of their own electricity using perovskites, affordably.

Another approach is solar concentrators on windows, quantum dots, which absorb radiation at UV and IR frequencies and re-emit them at wavelengths that traditional solar cells can capture. Placed on windows, the dots can emit the concentrated radiation sideways, through the glass, to solar cell strips embedded in the window frame. This technology is promising because quantum dots are inexpensive to make and only a small amount of solar cell material is needed to capture the re-emitted radiation.

Another idea being researched is semitransparent organic solar cell windows. These windows absorb about half of the incident sunlight that hits them, including visible light. While this darkens these windows compared to clear glass, they absorb light from across the spectrum rather and therefore, do not take on the unsightly reddish hue.

And finally, here is research being done on solar panels for mobile sources. In Portugal, an experimental program is being implemented using electric cars to help power an area. Porto Santo Island has begun testing a strategy in which batteries in electric vehicles are charged by solar power during the day but while parked at night return spare energy to the grid to power people’s homes. Some experts say this form of energy storage could become a global trend.

While many issues remain before solar can power our planet given our lifestyles (length of time windows and cars and their solar power technologies must remain reliable, cost, etc.), research is progressing that could make clean, solar power practical and affordable for all and reduce dependence on fossil fuel-powered power plants and gasoline.

CCES has the experts to help you ascertain whether new technologies, like renewable power, is beneficial to you and your operations now. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.