See What the Next Generation of Solar Panels Looks Like

Here at NationSwell, we’ve ooh’d and ahh’d at the remarkable technology of solar panels several times. But regardless of how awesome and environmentally friendly they are, there are some people who are concerned about how “unsightly” they look on top of their neighbors’ houses.
Well, thanks to Michigan State University (MSU) researchers, the aesthetically-interested can keep their precious view.
According to a statement from the university, a team at MSU’s College of Engineering have invented a completely see-through solar panel that can be used on anything with a clear surface, such as windows and smart phones.
“It opens a lot of area to deploy solar energy in a non-intrusive way,” says Richard Lunt, assistant professor of chemical engineering who led the team. “It can be used on tall buildings with lots of windows or any kind of mobile device that demands high aesthetic quality like a phone or e-reader. Ultimately we want to make solar harvesting surfaces that you do not even know are there.”
MORE: These 10 States Are Leading the Way in Solar Power. What’s Their Secret?
The panel — called a “transparent luminescent solar concentrator” — uses small organic molecules that absorbs invisible wavelengths of sunlight and channels it to the photovoltaic solar cells on the panel’s edge, converting it into electricity.
It’s important to note that this current version is only about 1 percent efficient (whereas the most efficient panels can convert up to 40 percent) but the researchers are aiming for efficiencies beyond 5 percent.
But it’s clear (see what we did there?) that this is only just the beginning. As solar technology continues its rise and becomes less expensive, it’s helping our country shift away from its reliance on fossil fuels. And, yes, for those who are concerned, perhaps this future is one that isn’t clouded by those clunky panels.
DON’T MISS: This Texas Solar Farm Relies on a Flock of Sheep to Perform Maintenance

Meet 3 Young Innovators Who Could Make The World Cooler — Literally

Miles Barr wields the power of invisibility and draws energy from the sun. George Ban-Weiss can make the temperature drop in an entire city. And Emily Cole harnesses light to transform matter.
The three 30-somethings aren’t members of Marvel’s latest squad of superheroes. They’re part of a different high-powered team: MIT’s 35 Innovators Under 35.
Every year, MIT Technology Review Magazine picks 35 young problem-solvers to feature on its list, which includes scientists, inventors or entrepreneurs working on groundbreaking tech advancements in fields such as medicine, computers, data mining and robotics.
At least three of the members of this year’s list — Barr, Ban-Weiss and Cole — are working on new ideas that could help fight global climate change.
INVISIBLE MAN
Miles Barr, a 30-year-old entrepreneur, wants to turn every cell-phone screen into a solar panel without anyone noticing the difference.
He’s the cofounder of a company called Ubiquitous Energy, which is developing transparent — effectively invisible — solar panels. The technology’s implications for mobile devices are potentially transformative. No more battery-life worries: Every time you use your phone or tablet outside, it would be drawing power from the sun.
Barr also envisions larger-scale applications, like replacing entire windows with power-generating, transparent solar panels. The technology could mean less reliance on energy from fossil fuels, meaning less pollution overall.
SILVER SURFER
George Ban-Weiss, a 33-year-old professor in the University of Southern California’s school of engineering, came up with a simple idea to cool down Los Angeles: Paint roofs silver.
Black roofs soak up rays from the sun, making buildings hotter and heating up the air. Cool roofs — ones that reflect sunlight rather than absorb it — can make a measurable difference in the temperature in a city.
After Ban-Weiss presented his findings on cool roofs to the mayor of Los Angeles, the city passed a law requiring cool roofs for all new or refurbished roofs on residential buildings. It’s a change that could mean people in L.A. will have to run their air conditioners a little less, and the city will feel even cooler.
WONDER WOMAN
Excess carbon dioxide is making the planet hotter. But the harmful gas could be put to good use: making plastics, so says Emily Cole. The 31-year-old is the chief science officer at a company called Liquid Light, which is working on ways to convert CO2 into more useful chemicals.
Cole has helped develop technology that uses light to trigger reactions converting carbon dioxide into over 30 different chemicals. Liquid Light is focusing on ethylene glycol, which is used in plastics manufacturing, as it’s first commercial product.
Click here to meet the rest of MIT’s 35 Innovators Under 35.
MORE: These 10 States Are Leading the Way in Solar Power. What’s Their Secret?