Luminescent Solar Panel

This technology allows the seamless integration of photovoltaics and plastics.

Luminescent solar panel.

A luminescent solar concentrator lsc is made from plastic or glass with fluorescent materials or quantum dots in or on it. By far the most amazing aspect of the product though comes from the use of glass. A luminescent solar concentrator lsc is a transparent piece of plastic or glass that has a fluorescent dye or quantum dots embedded or painted on it. By making windows out of these lscs the glass that lets sunlight into our homes and offices could also generate the power we need.

Retrofitted onto current solar panel systems luminescent solar concentrators could increase efficiency by 50 percent source. Luminescent solar concentrators lsc are a very simple concept. The lscs considered in this study are made of transparent plastic with a film of photoluminescent particles on the back similar to those used in leds. With increased efficiency it ll also be able to generate more electricity per dollar than the solar panels you see on people s roofs now.

Luminescent solar concentrators operate on the principle of collecting radiation over a large area converting it by luminescence specifically by fluorescence and directing the generated radiation into a relatively small output target. Polycarbonate panels like the ones that i use for parasol modular can be coated and filled with luminescent molecules that can absorb incident sunlight and re emit it at longer wavelengths. This is a promising technology because it allows a large collecting area of virtually transparent glass with a comparatively small area of expensive solar cells. The luminescent ingredients can be dialed in to absorb and re emit at selected wavelengths.

The hope for the lsc is that cheap dyes or phosphors can make the system inexpensive as well as tolerant of defects or angle. Solar cells mounted on the larger edge of the lsc convert energy captured from the sun into electric power.