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What would be really interesting is if you could tune how much IR (edit: near-IR, actually) light goes through, and how much gets absorbed... that way you get s

by ph0rque 16y ago

What would be really interesting is if you could tune how much IR (edit: near-IR, actually) light goes through, and how much gets absorbed... that way you get solar heating when needed. Edit: thinking more about it, why not have the whole visible spectrum be tunable, so that you can create window blinds any time you want them, and increase energy production in the process?

hacknut13 16y ago
I was thinking the exact same thing. That would be genius.
deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
simpleTruth 16y ago
First off, normal glass also blocks IR light (which is a good thing) when the outside produces more IR light you want to cool the inside, and when it's producing less you want to heat the inside. Anyway, the energy from sunlight is for the most part visible light so you can't really use most of the energy without also blocking visible light. The best option is automatic shades which make the outside look dimmer but don't totally block the view.
- ph0rque 16y ago
  The journal article linked to in the article (http://apl.aip.org/resource/1/applab/v98/i11/p113305_s1?bypassSSO=1 http://apl.aip.org/resource/1/applab/v98/i11/p113305_s1?bypa...) mentions near-IR absorption.
  - simpleTruth 16y ago
    It's an interesting idea, I am simply mentioning the practical limitations. At this point it's a question of how cheaply they can scale it up and how much you can improve the efficiency. Looking at some of their numbers they block ~30+% of the light to gain ~1.3% of the energy you are better off with smaller windows and a high efficiency solar cell around the window. AKA 10% smaller windows block 10% of the light + a 20% efficient solar cell = 2% efficiency. Granted, there is probably a market even in it's current state.
    - gamble 16y ago
      I think the news article exaggerates the purpose of the device described in the actual paper. It isn't intended as a competitor for opaque power generation cells. The idea is that, since you already need an anti-reflective coating to block IR light, it might as well be a coating that can scavenge a bit of the incident power instead of sending it all back into space.
bxr 16y ago
>so that you can create window blinds any time you want them, and increase energy production in the process? That would be a great thing to have. Does give a whole new meaning to 'rolling blackout' though.

by ph0rque 16y ago

hacknut13 16y ago

I was thinking the exact same thing. That would be genius.

deleted 16y ago

[deleted]

simpleTruth 16y ago

First off, normal glass also blocks IR light (which is a good thing) when the outside produces more IR light you want to cool the inside, and when it's producing less you want to heat the inside. Anyway, the energy from sunlight is for the most part visible light so you can't really use most of the energy without also blocking visible light. The best option is automatic shades which make the outside look dimmer but don't totally block the view.

ph0rque 16y ago
The journal article linked to in the article (http://apl.aip.org/resource/1/applab/v98/i11/p113305_s1?bypassSSO=1 http://apl.aip.org/resource/1/applab/v98/i11/p113305_s1?bypa...) mentions near-IR absorption.
- simpleTruth 16y ago
  It's an interesting idea, I am simply mentioning the practical limitations. At this point it's a question of how cheaply they can scale it up and how much you can improve the efficiency. Looking at some of their numbers they block ~30+% of the light to gain ~1.3% of the energy you are better off with smaller windows and a high efficiency solar cell around the window. AKA 10% smaller windows block 10% of the light + a 20% efficient solar cell = 2% efficiency. Granted, there is probably a market even in it's current state.
  - gamble 16y ago
    I think the news article exaggerates the purpose of the device described in the actual paper. It isn't intended as a competitor for opaque power generation cells. The idea is that, since you already need an anti-reflective coating to block IR light, it might as well be a coating that can scavenge a bit of the incident power instead of sending it all back into space.

bxr 16y ago

>so that you can create window blinds any time you want them, and increase energy production in the process? That would be a great thing to have. Does give a whole new meaning to 'rolling blackout' though.