A team of engineers at state-funded KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and Sungkyunkwan University have developed a semi-transparent solar cell battery panel in the joint research effort which can not only generate electricity, but also shield heats. Thick in a range of 0.1 to 0.2mm, the panel is half transparent so that it can be coated to a sheet of film or glass.

To attain material properties, the joint research team has used a metal oxidized semiconductor materials called  ‘perovskite’ instead of silicon wafer. Etched on front and back surface of the substrate were silver electrodes 12-14nanometer wide, not only making the conductive, but also allowing visible rays of light to filter through. The transparency rate of the visible rays is 7.4% the same as that of a car windshield coating film

Applications abound. It can be coated to a car windshield glass or window glass. Or , it can be used to surround the exterior façade wall of a buildings to save energy consumption needed for heating and cooling because it boats of a high heat shield effect. It will take 5 to 10 years to commercialize. More details on the technology concerned are available on the “Advanced Energy Materials’ magazine issued on July 29