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

这个小型企业技术转让（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”窗口的使用点电源。建筑能耗约占美国总能源需求的40%。据预测，到2050年将投入使用的建筑有一半以上已经建成。在现有建筑中安装智能窗户来调节/监控阳光的透射，可以减少10 - 40%的建筑能耗，代表着640亿美元的潜在市场，但目前过于复杂和劳动密集型。透明的NUV太阳能电池将通过避免外部布线来简化智能玻璃/薄膜的采用，从而促进在现有建筑物中部署智能窗户技术，以提高能源效率，增强居住者的健康和生产力。同样，物联网智能设备/传感器承诺通过让用户更好地控制设备、信息和能源使用，使建筑环境更高效。透明的NUV太阳能电池可以在不改变美观的情况下为窗口内的物联网设备/传感器提供使用点电源。对于光伏社区来说，通过该项目开发的NUV光伏技术的操作物理和性能将引起更广泛的兴趣，因为传统光伏技术无法有效地收集NUV波长。拟议中的项目将探索一种光伏技术，这种技术可以选择性地吸收近紫外光（NUV）——否则会被浪费掉的能量——并有效地将其转化为高压电力。收集NUV光子的太阳能电池可以满足智能窗户单片供电的需求，而不需要争夺窗户试图调节的可见光或近红外光子，也不需要对窗户美学施加设计限制。第一代NUV太阳能电池在面积上具有功率可扩展性，单结光伏超过1.6 V（薄膜光伏的记录）。该一期项目旨在(1)将NUV太阳能技术从刚性玻璃转化为柔性基板，以及(2)展示低成本透明电极替代品的使用。这些突破将允许将超低紫外太阳能电池与智能窗口轻松集成，用于自供电操作和太阳光谱的智能管理，超低紫外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调节。此外，灵活透明的NUV太阳能电池具有美观的特性，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，用于智能窗口和物联网设备技术的现场测试。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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。

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.