Other than cost, one of the biggest problems in getting consumers to adopt solar technologies on the outside of their homes is the inevitable unsightly appearance of a roof or backyard littered with solar panels. Last week we ran a story about a new technology that will allow for thinner solar “sheets” to be used to counter this problem, but going one step further is a new development by the Queensland University of Technology that will allow for transparent solar cells to be embedded into standard window glass. Not only would this technology allow for solar cells to be used without being an eyesore, but they could potentially generate enough energy to power an entire home.
Professor John Bell from the University is the head of the project and says that, although the glass has a red-tinted hue, it is entirely transparent, and can be used to replace any window glass in any home.
This may seem like a pipe-dream, but Professor Bell believes that this technology will be on the market in a few years, and, with the adoption of more energy efficient appliances, can make a home’s energy consumption completely self-sustaining.
