Generating Urban

Solar Power with

Transparent
Photovoltaics

Milena Adams, Zack Dickey, Davit Galstyan, Xianqing Li

 Why do we need a new solar solution in cities?

○
● Adapted from:
https://bedfordandbowery.com/2018/12/brooklyn-gets-a-big-block-of-solar-powered-homes-and-businesses/

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 OUR SOLUTION:
A semi-transparent solar panel window
https://www.msesupplies.com/products/azo-glass-substrate-aluminum-doped
-zinc-oxide-azo-coated-glass-substrates?variant=31352106680378
● Replaces solar panel components with
transmissive alternatives
● >60% transparency ; >12.2% efficiency
● Functions as a typical solar panel does
● Practical, marketable

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S25424351193
05380?via%3Dihub#bib35

https://www.arborsci.com/products/dye-sensitized-fto-glass-electrode-16
 Technical Approach: An Overview

2. Grow
1. Perforate 4. Add glass
n-type AZO 3. Deposit FTO
p-type Si to and frame; test
nanowire film on Si for
optimize window
array on FTO back electrode
transmittance performance
electrode

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 Task 1 - Etch Microhole Array

●
●

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0960-1317/18/7/075007

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 Task 2 - Grow AZO Nanowire Array

●
https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/science/article/pii/S0167577X13016480?via%3Dihub

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 Task 3 - Deposit FTO Film

●
●
https://www.intechopen.com/online-first/introductory-chapter-basic-theory-of-magnetron-sputtering

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 Task 4 - Finalize and Test Window Performance

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●

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○

https://www.pveducation.org/pvcdrom/characterisation/measurement-of-s https://www.worldoftest.com/sites/default/files/2019-02/Haze%20Gard-
olar-cell-efficiency i.jpg

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 Social and Economic Impact

●
●

https://populationmatters.org/the-facts/climate-change

Adapted from:
https://www.solar-estimate.org/solar-panels-101/how-many-square-feet-of-roof-space-do-i-need-to-install-solar-panels
https://www.imeche.org/news/news-article/organic-photovoltaic-windows-in-three-years

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 Required Costs and Resources

6 Month period 1 2 3 4 Total

● Personnel and supplies: Salaries

Principal Investigator (2)
US $
8,332.00
US $
8,332.00
US $
8,332.00
US $
8,332.00
US $
33,328.00

researchers, lab supplies and raw Graduate Assistant (6) 81,900.00 81,900.00 81,900.00 81,900.00 327,600.00
Undergraduate Assistant (2) 2,000.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 8,000.00
materials. Lab Supplies
AR window sheets 1,575.00 1,575.00 1,575.00 1,575.00 6,300.00

● Characterization: electrochemical AZO

FTO
23,760.00
7,200.00
23,760.00
7,200.00
23,760.00
7,200.00
23,760.00
7,200.00
95,040.00
28,800.00

deposition, magnetron sputtering Si

Characterization
9,000.00 9,000.00 9,000.00 9,000.00 36,000.00

deposition, Raman, AFM, SEM, and SEM

AFM
1472.00
1472.00
1472.00
1472.00
1472.00
1472.00
1472.00
1472.00
5,888.00
5,888.00

XRD XRD
Sputter coatings
1308.00
409.00
1308.00
409.00
1308.00
409.00
1308.00
409.00
5,232.00
1,636.00
Confocal Raman 1390.00 1390.00 1390.00 1390.00 5,560.00
● Total investment of approx. Total F&A (rate 58.05%)
Total Cost
45,120.00
184,938.00
45,120.00
184,938.00
45,120.00
184,938.00
45,120.00
184,938.00
180,480.00
739,752.00

$740,000

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 Timeline and Deliverables

We will develop a solar panel window to be used for energy

collection in urban building structures.

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 Summary

● The annual research cost (2-year plan) is $370k

○ Initial investment of $200k
○ Low-risk investment; solar energy is a growing industry

● We need your investment!

○ This could be a breakthrough in renewable energy
○ Propels us toward the United Nations goal of creating
sustainable cities and communities

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 References
● Cities - United Nations Sustainable Development Action 2015. (n.d.). Retrieved January 15, 2020, from
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/cities/
● Byrne, J. (2018, August 1). What's wrong with big solar in cities? Nothing, if it's done right. Retrieved March 28, 2020,
from https://phys.org/news/2018-08-wrong-big-solar-cities.html
● Stadler, A. (2012). Transparent Conducting Oxides—An Up-To-Date Overview. Materials (Basel), 5(4), 661–683. Retrieved
from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/
● Lee, S., & Seo, K. (2019). Neutral-Colored Transparent Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaics. Joule, 4(1), 235–246. Retrieved
from https://www.sciencedirect.com/
● Svarc, J. (2018, August 20). Solar Panel Construction. Retrieved February 19, 2020, from
https://www.cleanenergyreviews.info/blog/solar-panel-components-construction
● Chen, J., Chen, J., Chen, D., Zhou, Y., Li, W., Ren, Y., & Hu, L. (2014). Electrochemical deposition of Al-doped ZnO
transparent conducting nanowire arrays for thin-film solar cell electrodes. Materials Letters, 117, 162–164. doi:
10.1016/j.matlet.2013.11.122
● Banyamin, Z., Kelly, P., West, G., & Boardman, J. (2014). Electrical and Optical Properties of Fluorine Doped Tin Oxide
Thin Films Prepared by Magnetron Sputtering. Coatings, 4(4), 732–746. doi: 10.3390/coatings4040732
● Transmittance. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2020, from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/physics-and-astronomy/transmittance
● Measurement of Solar Cell Efficiency. (n.d.). Retrieved March 4, 2020, from
https://www.pveducation.org/pvcdrom/characterisation/measurement-of-solar-cell-efficiency
● Mischa. (2017, November 7). Population and environment: a global challenge. Retrieved from
https://www.science.org.au/curious/earth-environment/population-environment
● Kumar, M. (2020). Social, Economic, and Environmental Impacts of Renewable Energy Resources. Wind Solar Hybrid
Renewable Energy System, 4–5. doi: 10.5772/intechopen.89494

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Questions?