Scientists in Switzerland have reached a new efficiency record for transparent solar cells, paving the way for electricity-generating windows that could help power our homes and devices.
Also known as Grätzel cells, dye-sensitised solar cells (DSCs) are a type of low-cost solar cell that use photosensitised dye attached to the surface of a semiconductor to convert visible light into energy.
DSCs are transparent, flexible and can be manufactured in a wide range of colours for a relatively low cost.
These see-through solar panels are already being used in skylights, greenhouses, and glass facades.
In 2017, the Copenhagen International School inaugurated its new building covered by approximately 12,000 blue-hued but transparent solar panels that use the same DSC technology.
For reference, commercial solar panels currently have an average efficiency of around 20 per cent. »
