Russian scientists develop materials for energy-generating windows

Russian scientists have developed solar concentrators made of fluorescent polymeric materials to turn ordinary windows into solar panels, Russia's Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU)reported Thursday.

"Scientists of FEFU's Natural Science School, in cooperation with the Institute of Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, have developed new luminescent polymeric materials, which potentially lead to the creation of energy-generating windows that can convert sunlight into electricity," said the university.

Scientists suggest that the new materials can be used for producing low-cost films, which can be mounted on plain window glass or any other surface where sunlight falls, and collect and convert light into electricity.

"Conventional solar cells are quite expensive, have low diffuse light efficiency and require a large place to set. In contrast, the solar concentrators reduce the demand for photovoltaic inverters, use diffuse light and can be placed on any surface," said Alexander Ridge, one of the project's developers. Endi