Selective Solar Harvesting Windows for Full‐Spectrum Utilization

Abstract

Abstract Smart windows can selectively regulate excess solar radiation to reduce heating and cooling energy consumption in the built environment. However, the inevitable dissipation of ultraviolet and near‐infrared into waste heat results in inefficient solar utilization. Herein, a dual‐band selective solar harvesting (SSH) window is developed to realize full‐spectrum utilization. A transparent photovoltaic, converting ultraviolet into electricity, and a transparent solar absorber, converting near‐infrared into thermal energy, are integrated and coupled with a ventilation system to extract heat for indoor use. Compared with common transparent photovoltaics, the SSH window increases solar harvesting efficiency up to threefold while maintaining a considerable visible transmittance. Simulations suggest that the SSH window, besides generating electricity, delivers energy savings by over 30% higher than common smart windows. This is the first integration of transparent photovoltaic and transparent solar absorber into a window, which may open up a new avenue for the development of energy‐efficient buildings.

Keywords

• full‐spectrum utilization
• solar harvesting window
• transparent photovoltaic
• transparent solar absorber