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Photonic Microstructures For Energy-Generating Clear Glass And Net-Zero Energy Buildings, Mikhail Vasiliev, Ramzy Alghamedi, Mohammad Alam, Kamal Alameh

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Transparent energy-harvesting windows are emerging as practical building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), capable of generating electricity while simultaneously reducing heating and cooling demands. By incorporating spectrally-selective diffraction gratings as light deflecting structures of high visible transparency into lamination interlayers and using improved spectrally-selective thin-film coatings, most of the visible solar radiation can be transmitted through the glass windows with minimum attenuation. At the same time, the ultraviolet (UV) and a part of incident solar infrared (IR) radiation energy are converted and/or deflected geometrically towards the panel edge for collection by CuInSe₂ solar cells. Experimental results show power conversion efficiencies in excess …