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February 9, 2007

Solar to Electricity in Glass Windows is Patent Pending

Vancouver, British Columbia [RenewableEnergyAccess.com]

Octillion Corp., through a sponsored research agreement with the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, is developing new nanosilicon photovoltaic (PV) solar cell technology that could adapt glass windows to be able to generate electricity from sunlight.

With appropriate connections, the film acts as nanosilicon PV solar cells that have the potential of converting solar radiation to electrical energy.

The process can occur without losing significant transparency or requiring major changes in manufacturing infrastructure.

Octillion Corp. has moved ahead on developing nanosilicon PV solar cell-based glass windows with this capability, including developing a protocol for reliable deposition of nanofilms of metal on a glass window substrate prototype, planning an electro spray system that deposits thin films of fluorescent silicon nanoparticles, and showing that the silicon nanoparticles retained their high efficiency.

The nanosilicon PV solar cells are created through an electrochemical and ultrasound process that produces identically sized (1 to 4 nanometers in diameter) highly luminescent nanoparticles of silicon that provide varying wavelengths of photoluminescence with high quantum down conversion efficiency of short wavelengths (50% to 60%).

When thin films of silicon nanoparticles are deposited (sprayed) onto silicon substrates, ultraviolet light is absorbed and converted into electrical current. With appropriate connections, the film acts as nanosilicon PV solar cells that have the potential of converting solar radiation to electrical energy.
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Reader Comments (5)
 
No image available
February 10, 2007
i am very happy to see this article.i want to go solar at home and once this pruduct is on the market i will consider it for use.
Comment 1 of 5
No image available
February 10, 2007
i am very happy to see this article.i want to go solar at home and once this pruduct is on the market i will consider it for use.
Comment 2 of 5
No image available
February 12, 2007
This is encouraging to see though I'd like to know how far they are along with actually making or testing this.

Also, given the large amount of glass on car windows,
I'm wondering if this could be used to create and store
energy for fuel cells, bringing us even greater fuel
efficiecy in hybrid cars and or making all electric
vehicles more feasible and self-reliant.
Comment 3 of 5
No image available
February 13, 2007
XsunX has been up to this for a while. I first heard about their Power Glass transparent PV product here at REA.com back in October 2005. Not sure how close they are to market now (last update I saw was in June 2006).
Comment 4 of 5
No image available
February 14, 2007
Now this is nanotechnology I like to hear about. Can't wait until it's out for the masses to purchase. Will it be less expensive than traditional solar?
Comment 5 of 5
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