Economy & Tech

Transparent Solar Panels: Transforming Skyscrapers into Energy Powerhouses

Competition is intensifying in the field of next-gen transparent solar panels that could transform buildings into power plants and help mitigate global warming.

Published

3 days ago

July 4, 2024

Eriko Ogawa

Professor Masanori Sakamoto of Osaka University's SANKEN holding a transparent solar cell in Ibaraki City, Osaka Prefecture (©Sankei by Yasushi Kawamura)

Read the full story on Japan 2 Earth - Transparent Solar Panels: Transforming Skyscrapers into Energy Powerhouses

Research and development of next-generation transparent solar panels is advancing. Because they are transparent, these solar cells can absorb heat and generate electricity when installed on windows and exterior walls of high-rise buildings. If widely adopted, they could alleviate power shortages and help mitigate global warming. While some technological aspects are still not fully established, a future where city buildings themselves become "power plants" could soon become a reality.

Harnessing the Power of Infrared

The thin glass panel is just 10 cm square and fits in the palm of a hand. "Installing these on the windows of high-rise buildings can turn the buildings themselves into power plants. They could make our cities more disaster-resistant." So explains Professor Masanori Sakamoto of the Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (SANKEN) of Osaka University. He developed a next-gen solar panel that generates electricity using infrared light.

Sunlight is classified into visible light, ultraviolet (UV) light, and infrared light according to wavelength. Conventional solar power utilizes visible light. Infrared light, comprising over 40% of the sun's rays, has gone largely unused because it contains less energy. Its radiation is easily absorbed by carbon dioxide and is a known cause of global warming.

What if we could harness the power of this trouble-making infrared radiation to generate power? Sakamoto began his research to answer this question in 2016 while at Kyoto University's Institute for Chemical Research.

Continue reading the full story on Japan 2 Earth to read more about how transparent solar panels could effectively turn high-rise buildings into power plants.

And find more great articles on the environment and the challenges of achieving the SDGs on our affiliated website Japan 2 Earth (J2E), sparking a transition to a sustainable future.

(Read the article in Japanese.)

Author: Eriko Ogawa