'Translucent Solar Panel?'

Long Weekend · Guru

'Translucent Solar Panel?'

dabbler · Guru

Translucent or transparent solar panels exist and they're one of the current research areas. They're touted as an option for new buildings and incorporated into the structure (roof, wall etc). But I'm not sure if flexible, translucent panels exist in real life. Artist impression and rendered images are the domain of sales departments not technical departments so I generally ignore them.

Possum3 · Guru

Clickable link; www.msn.com/en-au/news/other/nissan-caravan-mountain-base-concept-debuts-as-adventure-ready-van/ar-AAS1KpI

Long Weekend · Guru

Thanks Possum3.

I copied and pasted it exactly as it appeared on my computer. Don't know why it wouldn't work.

Murray

landy · Guru

Your link works fine LW but needs to be copied and pasted into the address bar as it is not underlined.

Possum3 has kindly made it clickable.

Landy

yobarr · Guru

dabbler wrote:
Translucent or transparent solar panels exist and they're one of the current research areas. They're touted as an option for new buildings and incorporated into the structure (roof, wall etc). But I'm not sure if flexible, translucent panels exist in real life. Artist impression and rendered images are the domain of sales departments not technical departments so I generally ignore them.

About 10 years ago BIPV (Building integrated photo voltaic) became popular,where roofs were made solely from Solar panels.Idea was soon discarded as panels heated interiors of buildings too much.Cheers

Buzz Lightbulb · Guru

Years ago I read about the development of not only translucent but also transparent solar systems that could be used as windows in houses. There are also developments of flexible solar panels so I'm not surprised to see what yobarr has discovered.

dabbler · Guru

The ones I mentioned are a newer development and currently on the market. If earlier ones had issues with heat retention I imagine these newer ones had tried to address the issue.

yobarr · Guru

dabbler wrote:
The ones I mentioned are a newer development and currently on the market. If earlier ones had issues with heat retention I imagine these newer ones had tried to address the issue.

Some clever scientist must have found a way for solar panels not to generate heat? Reminds me of the Irish space mission,their intention being to land a man on the sun."You can't land on the bloody sun Paddy.It's a million degrees Celsius and both you and the spacecraft will melt" said a casual observer. "Ah,to be sure" said Paddy."Already thought of that,so we're going to go at night".Cheers

travelyounger · Guru

Hope they are better than the Chinese panels four years and need replacing and they say phones are bad for the environment Cheers

yobarr · Guru

travelyounger wrote:
Hope they are better than the Chinese panels four years and need replacing and they say phones are bad for the environment Cheers

There are literally dozens of brands of Solar panels,all claiming to be "the best",but the truth is that the number of GOOD solar panel brands could be counted on one hand. Like most things in life,with Solar panels you get what you pay for,and I have absolutely NO sympathy for people who buy El Cheapo sh-t and are disappointed when it performs at El Cheapo sh-t levels.Cheers

bomurra · Veteran Member

Back in 2014 I had a brief involvment with a research group at Edith Cowan University, here in WA who had developed a coating that could be applied to glass, that generated good quantities of electricity. The problem in making this a commercial venture (I believe) is the cost of manufacture of the materials. It will happen in time. The windows will be perfectly transparent and will generate electricity, even in low light situations.

Buzz Lightbulb · Guru

bomurra wrote:

Back in 2014 I had a brief involvment with a research group at Edith Cowan University, here in WA who had developed a coating that could be applied to glass, that generated good quantities of electricity. The problem in making this a commercial venture (I believe) is the cost of manufacture of the materials. It will happen in time. The windows will be perfectly transparent and will generate electricity, even in low light situations.

Was that the paint shown on The New Inventors? If not, I saw something similar on that show, paint that acts as a solar panel.

bomurra · Veteran Member

Buzz Lightbulb wrote:
bomurra wrote:

Back in 2014 I had a brief involvment with a research group at Edith Cowan University, here in WA who had developed a coating that could be applied to glass, that generated good quantities of electricity. The problem in making this a commercial venture (I believe) is the cost of manufacture of the materials. It will happen in time. The windows will be perfectly transparent and will generate electricity, even in low light situations.
Was that the paint shown on The New Inventors? If not, I saw something similar on that show, paint that acts as a solar panel.

No, it was not a paint, but a series of coatings applied to the glass using a technique called Sputtering, which is a physical vapour deposition technique (or atomic layer deposition) performed under high vacuum, in a very expensive scientific instrument. So expensive to do, thus the lack of commercial interest at the moment. Once a cheaper way to perform the process is developed, skys the limit.