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Silicon Valley technology company Ubiquitous Energy has developed what it says is the world’s first truly transparent solar technology. As reported in Energy Harvesting Journal, ClearView Power™ transmits visible light and selectively absorbs non-visible light converting it to electricity. It can achieve power conversion efficiencies over 10 percent, while maintaining up to 90 percent visible transparency.
The company’s website says that it’s on a mission to eliminate battery life limitations of mobile devices and to power smart glass for buildings. The technology can be used in a range of products as an invisible, onboard source of electricity including for wearables, tablets, internet-of-things devices, and digital signage, generating the electricity to power these devices.
The transparency is achieved by selectively transmitting light visible to the human eye, while converting invisible ultraviolet and near-infrared light into electricity. This allows these invisible films to be integrated directly into the surfaces of electronic products with no degradation of device function or display clarity.
Among other applications, ClearView Power technology also serves as an invisible, power-producing coating for windows, providing an onboard power source for electronic window functionality or to offset energy consumption in buildings. The low cost and non-toxic material can generate electricity on any surface or device without aesthetic impact.
Spun out of MIT, Ubiquitous Energy is producing its solar cells in a Silicon Valley pilot production facility. The company has raised approximately $10 million to date and has won numerous awards for its business and technology.
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