Chinese researchers’ new achievement: turning windows into solar panels with transparent coating

Chinese scientists have developed a transparent, nearly invisible coating that can turn any glass surface, from building windows to skyscraper facades, into a solar panel.

This coating is made of a material called “cholesteric liquid crystals (CLC)” and is applied to the glass in thin layers.

Instead of absorbing all of the sunlight, this technology separates only a portion of the light of a specific polarization and directs it towards the edges of the camera frame.

There, narrow strips of solar cells convert concentrated light into electricity.

This process allows most visible light to pass through and keeps the window completely transparent.

According to tests by Nanjing University in China, this coating transmits 64 percent of visible light and maintains 91 percent of color accuracy, making it almost imperceptible to the human eye.

This achievement could pave the way for widespread use of solar energy in urban buildings.