Recent advances in semi-transparent polymer and perovskite solar cells for power generating window applications

Abstract

Semi-transparent photovoltaic (ST-PV) technologies can be applied to replace facades and roofs in conventional buildings and coatings on vehicles to produce energy from sunlight.

Optical Analysis for Semitransparent Organic Solar Cells

“…These advantages open up new solar energy applications such as portable power sources and building integrated photovoltaics (PV) that require better form factors. An even more appealing feature of OSCs is that they can be made semitransparent in appearance with the use of transparent conducting films as both the front and rear electrodes, which can be applied as power generating windows that could outperform inorganic PVs . The best reported power conversion efficiency (PCE) for opaque OSCs has reached 12–14%, which illuminates the commercialization of this solar cell technology.…”

“…For example, Martorell and co‐workers constructed an optical metal cavity configuration together with an antireflection coating and a Bragg reflector that can optimize the photon trapping property inside the STOSC while ensuring a high visible transparency . In addition to efficiency and transparency, other characteristics of semitransparent solar cells such as their color property, rendering capability, and heat isolation ratio are also considered as important parameters to evaluate their performance . Because the optical design of STOSCs is critically important to optimizing their performance, optical simulation becomes a powerful means of providing design guidelines for optimal device architecture.…”

“…An even more appealing feature of OSCs is that they can be made semitransparent in appearance with the use of transparent conducting films as both the front and rear electrodes, which can be applied as power generating windows that could outperform inorganic PVs. [3][4][5][6][7] The best reported power conversion efficiency (PCE) for opaque OSCs has reached 12-14%, [8][9][10] which illuminates the commercialization of this solar cell technology. However, unlike that of their opaque counterparts, the performance of semitransparent organic solar cells (STOSCs) is evaluated not only by their PCE but also by the transparency level and color.…”

“…[15] In addition to efficiency and transparency, other characteristics of semitransparent solar cells such as their color property, rendering capability, and heat isolation ratio are also considered as important parameters to evaluate their performance. [3] Because the optical design of STOSCs is critically important to optimizing their performance, optical simulation becomes a powerful means of providing design guidelines for optimal device architecture. Brabec et al used optical simulation to predict the performance of semitransparent devices based on a low-bandgap polymer and their color variation range.…”

Industrial Opportunities and Challenges for Perovskite Photovoltaic Technology

“…Semitransparency in this solution is typically achieved by the spacing of opaque PV cells, which in turn lowers the average power density over the entire area . Flexible perovskite‐based solar modules can offer semitransparent solutions over the full solar‐glazing system . 2) Curtain walls: typically a continuous building envelope with nonstructural outer walls that bears only its own weight and the load imposed on it by external forces—such as that by the wind or seismic activities .…”