Solar powered windows

Scientists at the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory have unveiled a working prototype of smart window glass that darkens when exposed to strong sunlight and begins to generate electricity at a record efficiency of more than 11%. They just described their invention in the journal Nature Communications.

Thermochromic glass, as this material is called, is characterized by the ability to reversibly change transparency under the influence of heat provided by incident sunlight. This technology has been known for many years, but only now has it been possible to create a material that uses this phenomenon to generate electricity with such a high efficiency.

Smart glass bases its work on technologically advanced materials such as perovskites, which were popular until recently. Under the action of sunlight, a reversible transformation of the complex of the halogen derivative of perovskite and methylamine occurs, which leads to discoloration of the glass.

You can watch the progress of this process on YouTube:

NREL develops switchable solar window

Unfortunately, after about 20 cycles, the efficiency of the entire process decreases due to irreversible changes in the structure of the material. Another task for scientists will be to increase the stability and extend the life of smart glass.

Windows made of such glass work in two ways - on sunny days they generate electricity and reduce its consumption for air conditioning, as they simultaneously reduce the temperature inside the building. In the future, this solution could significantly improve the energy balance of both office buildings and residential buildings.

Sources: Nrel.gov, Electrek.co; photo: pexels.com