Well, what about generating electricity from sunlight? After all, as a rule, photovoltaic panels have a dark, almost black color, which contributes to the maximum possible absorption of sunlight. However, recently researchers from the Faculty of Materials Science at the University of Milan. Biccoca (Italy) together with their colleagues from the Center for Advanced Solar Photophysics in Los Alamos (USA) have developed a new non-toxic coating of quantum dots that turns any glass into a transparent electrical generator.
The coating of quantum dots forms a luminescent (self-luminous) solar concentrator, which in the daytime is able to absorb sunlight passing through transparent glass.
As scientists explain, the fraction of light passing through the window is absorbed by nano-sized particles dispersed on the window glass, which emit photons in the infrared range, invisible to the human eye. These photons are directed towards solar cells located at the edges of the window, generating an electric current. According to the researchers, the transparent window generator can produce enough electricity to power a home air conditioner or heater.
The new quantum dot coating is almost ready for commercialization and mass production in the short to medium term. This means that it will soon be possible to turn not only roofs, but also all surfaces of a building, including windows, into solar energy generators.
Scientists estimate that covering all the windows of the World Trade Center in New York, with a total area of 72,000 square meters. meters, a layer of quantum dots will generate enough electricity to power 350 average apartments.
