STTR Phase I: DDevelopment of a Transparent, Near-Ultraviolet Photovoltaic Power Source for Wireless Operation of Smart Windows and Internet-of-Things Devices

STTR第一阶段：开发透明、近紫外光伏电源，用于智能窗户和物联网设备的无线操作

• 批准号: 1843743
• 负责人: Nicholas Davy
• 金额: $ 22.5万
• 依托单位: Andluca Technologies Inc.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2019-02-01 至 2019-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1843743&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: STTR; Phase; DDevelopment; Transparent; Near

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is a transparent photovoltaic technology that converts near-ultraviolet (NUV) light into point-of-use power for dynamic 'smart' windows. Energy use in buildings represents roughly 40% of total U.S. energy demand. It is projected that over half the buildings that will be in use in 2050 are already built. Retrofitting existing buildings with smart windows that regulate/monitor sunlight transmission could reduce building energy consumption by 10 - 40% and represents a $64B total addressable market, but is presently prohibitively complex and labor intensive. Transparent, NUV solar cells will simplify smart glass/film adoption by obviating the need for external wiring, thereby catalyzing deployment of smart window technologies in existing buildings to increase energy efficiency and enhance occupant health and productivity. Similarly, IoT smart devices/sensors promise to make the built environment more efficient by giving users more control over appliances, information, and energy use. Transparent NUV solar cells can provide point-of-use power to in-window IoT devices/sensors without altering aesthetics. For the photovoltaic community, the operation physics and performance of the NUV photovoltaic technology developed through this program will be of broader interest, as NUV wavelengths are inefficiently harvested by conventional photovoltaics.The proposed project will explore a photovoltaic technology that selectively absorbs near-ultraviolet (NUV) light - energy that is otherwise wasted - and efficiently converts it into high-voltage power. Solar cells harvesting NUV photons could satisfy the unmet need of powering smart windows monolithically without competing for visible or near-infrared photons that the windows seek to regulate or imposing design constraints on window aesthetics. First-generation NUV solar cells exhibit power scalability with area, and single-junction photovoltages exceeding 1.6 V (record for thin-film PV). This Phase I project aims to (1) translate NUV solar technology from rigid glass to a flexible substrate, and (2) demonstrate use of low-cost transparent electrode alternatives. These breakthroughs will allow for facile integration of NUV solar cells with smart windows for self-powered operation and intelligent management of the solar spectrum, with NUV photons powering the regulation of visible and near-infrared photons for natural lighting and heating purposes, respectively. Additionally, the aesthetically-discreet nature of flexible, transparent NUV solar cells can enable remotely-powered internet-of-things (IoT) smart devices/sensors. Accordingly, funding for this Phase I project will produce a flexible, transparent NUV solar cell prototype for field-testing with smart window and IoT device technologies.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这个小企业技术转让（STTR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是一种透明的光伏技术，将近紫外线（NUV）光转换为动态“智能”窗户的使用点电力。建筑物的能源消耗约占美国能源总需求的40%。据预测，2050年将投入使用的建筑物中有一半以上已经建成。用智能窗户改造现有建筑，调节/监控阳光传输，可以减少10 - 40%的建筑能耗，代表着640亿美元的总目标市场，但目前过于复杂和劳动密集。透明的NUV太阳能电池将通过消除外部布线的需要来简化智能玻璃/薄膜的采用，从而促进智能窗户技术在现有建筑中的部署，以提高能源效率并增强居住者的健康和生产力。同样，物联网智能设备/传感器通过让用户对设备、信息和能源使用进行更多控制，有望使建筑环境更加高效。透明NUV太阳能电池可以为窗内物联网设备/传感器提供使用点电源，而不会改变美观性。对于光伏界来说，通过该计划开发的NUV光伏技术的运行物理和性能将引起更广泛的兴趣，因为NUV波长被传统的光伏技术效率低下。拟议的项目将探索一种光伏技术，该技术选择性地吸收近紫外（NUV）光-否则会浪费的能量-并将其有效地转换为高压电力。收集NUV光子的太阳能电池可以满足单片为智能窗户供电的未满足的需求，而不会竞争窗户试图调节或对窗户美学施加设计约束的可见或近红外光子。第一代NUV太阳能电池表现出功率随面积的可扩展性，并且单结光电压超过1.6 V（薄膜PV的记录）。该项目的第一阶段旨在（1）将NUV太阳能技术从刚性玻璃转化为柔性基板，（2）展示低成本透明电极替代品的使用。这些突破将使NUV太阳能电池与智能窗户轻松集成，实现自供电操作和太阳光谱的智能管理，NUV光子分别为自然照明和加热目的的可见光和近红外光子提供动力。此外，柔性透明NUV太阳能电池的美学谨慎性质可以实现远程供电的物联网（IoT）智能设备/传感器。因此，第一阶段项目的资金将用于生产灵活、透明的NUV太阳能电池原型，用于智能窗和物联网设备技术的现场测试。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。