Invisible Luminescent Solar Concentrators

该项目涉及低成本光伏（PV）薄膜技术，可以提供将太阳能技术集成到建筑围护结构中的替代方法。将太阳能收集组件集成到建筑围护结构中是一种革命性的途径，可以捕获太阳能用于发电，同时降低有效的太阳能电池安装成本，提高建筑能源效率。由于成本、建筑阻抗和美观等原因，在建筑物周围安装传统太阳能电池模块存在困难，因此这种方法的广泛采用受到限制。这个基础研究项目解决了低成本的发光太阳能聚光器（LSC）薄膜技术，该技术在可见光光谱中是高度透明的，可以集成到窗户、玻璃系统和建筑围护结构的壁板上。该技术在玻璃上几乎看不见，同时为建筑提供额外的可再生发电。该项目将利用研究成果开展外展活动，包括开发太阳能集中器套件，在校园内部署可持续能源技术，以及提高本科生和大学预科学生对可再生能源技术的科学意识。这些发光系统的基础知识也将有潜力提高传统的太阳能电池和发光二极管。这项基础研究的目标是研究新型磷光纳米团簇和荧光有机盐，并利用它们的特性来实现广泛负担得起的净零能耗建筑技术。通过改变带隙和分子轨道之间状态的不连续，可以将这些材料在可见光光谱（例如紫外线，UV区域）之外的太阳能收集调整为近红外（NIR）。目标材料的激子特性和结构吸收将被设计用于生产发光太阳能聚光器结构，该聚光器通过波导将更深的近红外光发射到高效太阳能电池中，从而有选择地有效地收集紫外线和近红外光。薄膜系统将吸收和发射可见光光谱附近的能量。该项目将整合对化学结构-性质、激子收集、光子管理和形态-性质关系的基本理解，以及产生可行的太阳能途径所需的光学和寿命工程。研究发光团的Stokes-shift工程，以优化光效率和实现大面积可扩展性。

This project addresses low-cost photovoltaic (PV) thin film technology that can offer alternative methods to integrating solar energy technology into building envelops. The integration of solar-harvesting components into the building envelope is a transformative route to capturing solar energy for electricity generation while lowering effective solar cell installation costs and improving building energy efficiency. Widespread adoption of this approach is limited by difficulties associated with mounting traditional solar cell modules around buildings due to cost, architectural impedance, and aesthetics. This fundamental research project addresses low-cost luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) film technology that is highly transparent in the visible light spectrum enabling integration onto windows, glazing systems, and siding in the building envelope. The technology is virtually invisible on glazing while offering additional renewable electricity generation for the building. The project will leverage the research results for outreach activities including the development of solar concentrator kits, deployment of sustainable energy technologies across campus, and increasing the scientific awareness of renewable energy technologies for undergraduate students and pre-college students. The fundamental knowledge gained of these luminescent systems will also have potential in enhancing traditional solar cells, and light emitting diodes.The goal of this fundamental research is to investigate novel phosphorescent nanoclusters and fluorescent organic salts, and exploit their properties to enable widespread affordable net-zero-energy building technologies. By modifying the bandgap and the discontinuity of states between molecular orbitals it is possible to tune the solar harvesting of these materials outside of the visible light spectrum (e.g. ultra violet, UV region) into the near-infrared (NIR). The excitonic character and structured absorption of the targeted materials will be designed to produce luminescent solar concentrator architectures that selectively and efficiently harvest UV and NIR light by waveguiding deeper-NIR emission to high efficiency solar cells. The film system will absorb and emit energy around the visible spectrum. The project will integrate fundamental understanding of chemical structure-properties, exciton-harvesting, photon management, and morphology-property relationships with optical and lifetime engineering necessary to produce a viable solar pathway. Stokes-shift engineering of luminophores will be investigated to optimize the optical efficiency and realize large-area scalability.