The Next Wave Of Perovskite Solar Cell Innovation: See-Through Solar Windows

Researchers at University College London have built a see-through solar window using perovskite, a lab-grown crystal material that's cheaper to make than traditional silicon solar cells. The window lets in about 30% of light, compared to 80-90% for regular glass, acting like tinted glass that helps keep rooms cool while also generating electricity. As a full window panel, it converts 14% of sunlight into power, and the underlying solar cell hit 22% efficiency under bright indoor light. The team also built a 30x30 centimeter test panel, a step toward making the material at real-world sizes. This is still lab research, not a product you can buy or install.

Separately, a Kentucky startup called Sofab Inks just closed $6 million in seed funding to scale up its own perovskite formula, which swaps out a fragile component that has caused cracking and power loss in earlier perovskite solar cells. The company says its material bonds more strongly and has already been tested with other perovskite makers across the industry.

Neither development is available for home installation yet. Perovskite solar cells, including window versions, are still moving through research and early manufacturing stages. But the technology is aimed at eventually adding solar power generation to ordinary windows and other surfaces, which could someday give homeowners another option beyond rooftop panels.