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.

这款小型企业技术转移（STTR）I期项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是透明的光伏技术，可将近粉丝（NUV）光转换为动态“智能”窗口的使用点功能。建筑物中的能源使用约占美国总能源需求的40％。预计，已经建造了2050年将使用的一半以上的建筑物。用智能窗户对现有建筑物进行改造，以调节/监视阳光的传输可以将建筑物消耗降低10-40％，并且代表了64B美元的总可寻址市场，但目前非常复杂且劳动力密集。透明的NUV太阳能电池将通过消除对外部接线的需求来简化智能玻璃/膜的采用，从而催化现有建筑物中智能窗户技术的部署，以提高能源效率并提高居住者的健康和生产力。同样，IoT智能设备/传感器有望通过为用户提供对设备，信息和能源使用的更多控制，从而使建筑环境更加有效。透明的NUV太阳能电池可以在不改变美学的情况下为窗口的物联网设备/传感器提供使用点的功率。对于光伏社区，通过该程序开发的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波长是由常规光伏的NUV波​​长降低的。拟议的项目将探索一项光伏技术，可以选择地吸收近距离（NUV）的能量 - 能够有效地吸收能力 - 有效地吸收了能力 - 有效地降低了能力。太阳能电池收获NUV光子可以满足单一智能窗口供电的未满足的需求，而无需竞争窗户寻求调节或在窗户美学上施加设计约束的可见或近红外光子。第一代NUV太阳能电池具有区域的功率可伸缩性，而单连接的光波超过1.6 V（薄膜PV的记录）。该阶段I项目的目的是（1）将NUV太阳能技术从刚性玻璃转换为柔性基板，（2）证明了使用低成本透明电极替代方案。这些突破将允许将NUV太阳能电池与智能窗户易于整合，用于自动操作和智能管理太阳能光谱，而NUV光子分别为可见光和近红外光子的调节提供了为自然照明和加热目的的调节。此外，柔性，透明的NUV太阳能电池的美学上是验证性质可以实现远程动力的智能设备/传感器。因此，该阶段项目的资金将产生灵活的，透明的NUV太阳能电池原型，用于使用智能窗口和物联网设备技术进行现场测试。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是通过基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛影响的审查标准通过评估来获得支持的。