History of Solar Panel windows
Human beings had always made good use of solar energy since when the earliest ancestor of man noticed that a line of sunlight was warmer than the shade and that rocks heated throughout the day by the sun continued to stay warm through the night. Ancient structures of the Romans were constructed with south-facing windows to garner in the warmth of the sun. This was passive solar heating, which is still popular today. The only new thing about passive solar heating or solar daylighting is the name (K, Sruthi et al, 25-34).
All the early attempts to harvest solar energy emphasized on the heat. It was because the warmth of sunlight is public property. The steam engine was the basis for Industrial Revolution. Therefore early applications of solar energy concentrated on steam production. In 1767, what is considered to be the world’s first solar collector was constructed by a scientist called Horace de Saussure. He designed and built an insulated carton with an open cover closed by three layers of glass. This device was able to attain internal temperatures of 230 degrees Fahrenheit (K, Sruthi et al, 25-34).
The defining moment in the long history of solar energy took place in 1839 when the first occurrence of sunlight conversion to electricity occurred. A French scientist called Edmond subjected two electrodes inserted into an electrolyte to sunlight. He noticed an increase in electrical current though he was not able to explain this phenomenon.
Early solar cells had selenium; it later moved to silicon. The first actual solar with the photovoltaic cell was made at Bell Laboratories by creating a crystal silicon cell that was able to convert daylight into enough usable electric energy to power machines. Surprisingly, the ancient cell only had an efficiency ratio of 4%, though later models went up to 11% (K, Sruthi et al, 25-34).
Current state of Solar Window development
Present research on solar energy focuses on less expensive methods of generating silicon solar cells, many efficient means of solar power storage, latest super-thin copper-indium-gallium-selenide films of solar, and the application of dye-laden plastic or glass plates for focusing photons onto the solar panels (Snubber, 37-41). These latest advanced ideas will finally lead to the production of transparent materials that will change every window into being a solar panel. They will also enable the creation of new construction materials that will allow all building surfaces to work with a giant solar panel. Again, these latest advancements will help make batteries that will be able to store overnight or for some days the electricity produced by solar during the other daytimes (Snubber, 37-41).
As production cost go lower and lower, the basis for solar energy generation shift from the much hindrance of economics to the much anticipated and wished for clean and neat energy. It is expected that the global economy nears a point where solar power will be the preferred electricity source despite its cost being slightly higher than other conventional energy generation methods.
Photovoltaic Cells in Solar Panel Windows
Photovoltaic originates from the words “photo” to express light and “volt” to mean measurement of electricity. At times photovoltaic cells are referred to as PV cells or in short, solar cells. The present technology in PV cell creation is not so efficient but is still under development. In fact, today’s PV cell converts only around ten to twenty percent of the energy emitted into electricity. Surprisingly fossil fuels convert from 30 to 40% of the fuel’s chemical energy in their possession into electric energy.
Currently, the price per kilowatt-hour of producing electrical energy from PV cells is approximately three to four times as costly as from other sources. PV cells, of course, makes a lot of sense for many uses presently. Such applications include; supplying power to remote environments or areas where it is difficult to connect national grid. Solar energy is also used in solar water heating, which is apparently the third-largest home energy expense.
Future Technological advancements in solar window technology
Latest revolutionized solar window technology is capable of making use of any glass pane to become a solar panel window. In fact the leading US solar company called SolarWindow Technologies recently announced massive steps in expanding solar options for those contemplating about going solar. The company stated that their new cells are capable of producing 50 times the amount of energy being generated by the present panels.
Other aspects Future Developments to Solar Window technology
New solar applications are being developed to maximize the energy that can be generated to transform the energy sector worldwide. Some of these advancements include:
Solar roadways: This will involve concrete lining of highways and major roads with solar panels that will, in turn, be used to add electricity to the grid.
Floating solar: This includes plans to erect solar plants on the water surface which cover more than 70% of the face of the earth.
Space-based solar: Involving space-based satellites that will capture sunlight and thus converting it to microwaves energy that is then beamed back to earth.
The possibilities that this kind of invention creates includes faster return on investment (ROI) required for setting up solar systems. It is considered the biggest invention that can annually power up to half-billion square feet of panel windows installed on US commercial structures.
The point of Interest on this topic is How the Revolutionized Solar Panel Window Works
First, the glass panel windows are treated with a photovoltaic coating consisting elements of hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and certain hidden ingredients that the company feels should not be disclosed just yet. The principal mechanism is based on light absorption by the active layer whereas; light extraction is made possible by the use of transparent conductors. The coatings are used in their liquid state at ambient pressures and dried at relatively low temperatures to achieve transparency. The outcome of this bright solar paneling, and thus, the coatings can be included in any plastic or conventional glass.
Scientifically, the design of the SolarWindow coatings is meant for application to the interior of plastic or glass window units, to prevent the crust from external elements. In fact, the company plans to offer a 25-year warranty to the users in order of matching the offer given by conventional solar panels.
Types of jobs available in solar panel window technology
Some of the career opportunities available in Solar panel windows includes but not limited to; Solar Photovoltaic installers, who assemble, install, or take care of solar panel systems on rooftops or other structures. Also Solar renewable energy consultants, who advise solar panel installers and designers to get the most solar energy possible from the panels. Those fortunate to get employment with solar power setups are destined for greatness both regarding pay and knowledge experience at hand.
Impact on the Society
SolarWindow offers rapid payback. For example, under one year, it poses the industry’s quickest calculated monetary return. This is according to independent validated financial modeling results. The save made on 5-11 years waiting time and 10-12 acres of valuable urban land is substantial. Solar Window systems can be installed on the readily- available large window glass panes on skyscrapers and tall towers unlike doing investment on many acres of land for solar array fields.
Solar Window system offers robust performance. The system is engineered to perform much better than the rooftop solar by nearly 50 times. It works in many arrays of environments such as shaded, natural and even indoor light. Solar Window systems can be installed on all four sides of buildings.
Solar window systems are more green than conventional solar. A single installation is capable of avoiding 2.2 million miles of carbon-dioxide vehicle pollution, 12 times higher than solar.How a Photovoltaic (PV) cell within the Solar panel window works
Step #1
A slab of clear silicon is applied in the creation of PV cell. The top surface of the plate is narrowly diffused with an “n” dopant like Phosphorus. The base of the slab, on the other hand, has a small quantity of “p” dopant, such as Boron. These dopants have similarities in atomic structure to the parent material. Phosphorus though has one extra electron in its outermost level than Silicon, while the Boron has one electron less (Ortmanns, 29-43).
Phosphorus gives wafer or slab of silicon its extra free electron with a negative character. This is referred to as n-type silicon (n=negative). The n-type silicon is never charged as it has an equal number of electrons and protons though some of these electrons are not tightly held to the atoms, hence free to move to various locations within the layer.
Boron gives wafer of the silicon a positive character since it has the tendency to attract electrons. The base of the silicon slab is called the p-type silicon (p=positive). It has an equal number of protons and electrons. It contains a positive character but not a positive charge (Ortmanns, 29-43).
Step #2
Where the n-type silicon meets the p-type silicon, free electrons originating from the n-type flow into the p-type in a split second thereby forming a barrier to block more electron flow between the two faces. The joint of contact is referred to as the p-n-junction (Ortmanns, 29-43).
When both sides of the slab are doped, there will be a negative charge on the p-type face of the junction and a positively charged reaction on the n-type face of the terminal. This is due to the movement of electrons and “holes” at the junction of the two faces of the material (Ortmanns, 29-43). The created imbalance of electrical charge at the p-n-junction creates an electric field in between the p-type and the n-type.
Step #3
Upon exposure of the PV cell to the sun, photons of light hit the electrons found at the p-n junction and energize them, hitting them freely of their atoms. By doing that, these electrons get attracted to the positive charge at the n-type slab and get repelled by the negative charge in the p-type silicon. Mostly, photon-electron reactions and collisions take place at the base of the silicon.
Step #4
A conducting wire connects the p-type silicon side to an electrical application such as a battery or light, and the returns to the n-type silicon side, forming a complete circuit. When the free electrons are pushed into the n-type silicon side, they repel each other since they are of like terms. The wire, therefore, provides a path through which electron move away from each other (Ortmanns, 29-43). This electron flow is an electric current that can power an electric load, such as devices when it moves within the circuit from the n-type side to the p-type side.
Work Cited
"New Energy Technologies Announces Advances in Solar Window Coatings." Focus on Powder Coatings 2015.1 (2015): 6-12. Print.
King, W. "High-Performance Solar-Control Windows Final Report." (2010): 26-59. Print.
K, Sruthi P., Dhanya Rajan, and Pranav M. S. "Solar Powered Boost Converter with Passive Snubber." 2015 International Conference on Technological Advancements in Power and Energy (TAP Energy) (2015): 37-125. Print.
"Solar Energy and Energy Storage Devices." Solar Energy 3.3 (2009): 48-61. Print.
Ortmanns, Günter. "Modern Windows – Future Aspects." Advances In Solar Energy Technology (2008): 3096-097. Print.
