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In this study, we prepared highly thermostable semi-transparent heaters composed of W layers with thicknesses of 1-20 nm, on which a 30 nm-thick ZnO layer was deposited to serve as an anti-oxidation barrier. The optical transmittance and sheet resistance of the heaters could be greatly modulated by varying the W layer thickness. For layer thicknesses up to 10 nm, the initial Joule heating above 100 oC significantly reduced the sheet resistance, by 300% for a 6 nm-thick W layer at a fixed voltage for a duration of 400 s. During the test period, heater current and heating capability continuously increased. In subsequent heater operations, the heaters exhibited highly reproducible heating capability. In contrast, for films thicker than 10 nm, the Joule heating process resulted in only a marginal reduction in sheet resistance, i.e., by 4% for a 20 nm-thick W layer. In order to investigate the sharp dependence of heater characteristics on thickness, we performed x-ray diffraction analyses, which revealed that the films thinner than 10 nm were composed of both the equilibrium low-resistivity α-phase and metastable high-resistivity β-phase, and films thicker than 10 nm contained mostly α-phase. The Joule heating process for the thinner films was found to transform the β-phase into α-phase at temperatures above 100 oC, which resulted in significant improvement in the heating capability of the 6 nm-thick W layer. For films thicker than 10 nm, the W layers contained mostly α-phase and no such transformation-induced effects were observed. Finally, W heaters composed of α-phase exhibited highly thermostable and reproducible heater properties, which make the heaters suitable for applications with semi-transparent heaters.

In this article, the experimental thermodynamic performance analysis of a semi-transparent photovoltaic-thermal hybrid collector (SPV-THC) using CuO, Al2O3, TiO2 based nanofluids and water is investigated and compared with conventional opaque photovoltaic panels. The SPV-THC consists of a polycrystalline silicon cell photovoltaic module with a serpentine tube configuration heat sink. The influence of nanoparticle concentration, mass flow rate of nanofluids, ambient factors such as solar irradiation and ambient temperature on thermodynamic performance of SPV-THC have been experimentally studied under the weather conditions in Coimbatore, India. The concentration of nanoparticles and mass flow rate of nanofluids were optimized to 0.2% (by volume) and 0.016 kg/s, respectively based on experimental trials. The experimental result shows that the electrical efficiency of SPV-THC using CuO, TiO2, Al2O3 based nanofluids and water has been improved by 11.2%, 9.1%, 7.3% and 5.9% respectively than the conventional opaque photovoltaic modules. Also, the thermal efficiencies of SPV-THC using CuO, TiO2 and Al2O3 nanofluids improved by 42.6%, 34.8% and 19.7% respectively than water.

Perceptual visualisation of semi-transparent structures in volumetric datasets is challenging due to its inherent visual complexity. This is however of primary importance in medical visualisation w...

In this study, a thermodynamic model for concentrated semi-transparent-photovoltaic thermoelectric generator (CSPV-TEG) hybrid power generation system has been developed. Using the model, solar cel...

Semi-transparent photovoltaic modules are integrated with the building’s rooftop with the provision of movable insulation during off-sunshine hours to reduce the heat losses from room to the ambien...

Durable solar cells with tunable color and diaphaneity are very promising for building integrated photovoltaic applications. In this paper we employ donor–acceptor organic dyes U3, U4, U5, and R6 f...

Semi-transparent photovoltaic thermal (SPVT) greenhouse system combined with an earth air heat exchanger (EAHE) has been developed to make the system sustainable. The system is designed to cultivate plants in a hot climatic condition, where green net is provided, which bifurcates the enclosed space of the greenhouse into zone-1 and zone-2, and this green net cut the solar radiation incident on the plants. The influence of air changes in zone-1, mass flowrate of air flowing through EAHE, and packing factor on photovoltaic (PV) cell, air of the greenhouse, and the plant temperatures is investigated for a typical harsh summer day by using periodic model of these parameters. Furthermore, for a holistic performance assessment of this SPVT greenhouse, exergy, thermal load leveling, and decrement factor are evaluated. Results indicate that the optimum temperature range for plant growth (30 °C–37 °C) within the greenhouse can be achieved through a combination of ventilation in zone-1 and integration of EAHE. The temperature of plants reduced by 9 °C for 30 air changes in zone-1, and the temperature reduces further by 24 °C when EAHE having a flowrate of 0.5 kg/s is operated. The SPVT greenhouse system also generates 128 kWh of daily overall exergy that makes the system sustainable.

We investigated the characteristics of thermally evaporated fullerene (C60)/Ag/C60 (CAC) multilayer films for use in semi-transparent perovskite solar cells (PSCs) and thin-film heaters (TFHs). The top and bottom C60 layers and Ag interlayer were prepared using multi-source thermal evaporation, and the thickness of the Ag interlayer was investigated in detail for its effects on the resistivity, optical transmittance, and mechanical properties of the CAC electrodes. We used a figure-of-merit analysis to obtain a CAC electrode with a smooth surface morphology that exhibited a sheet resistance of 5.63 Ohm/square and an optical transmittance of 66.13% at a 550 nm wavelength. We conducted mechanical deformation tests to confirm that the thermally evaporated multilayer CAC electrode has a high durability, even after 10,000 times of inner and outer bending, rolling, and twisting due to the flexibility of the amorphous C60 and Ag interlayer. We evaluated the feasibility of using CAC electrodes for semi-transparent PSCs and TFHs. The semi-transparent PSC with 1.08 cm2 active area prepared with a transparent multilayer CAC cathode showed a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 5.1%. Furthermore, flexible TFHs (2.5 × 2.5 cm2) fabricated on a thermally evaporated CAC electrode show a high saturation temperature of 116.6 C, even at a low input voltage of 4.5 V, due to a very low sheet resistance. Based on the performance of the PSCs and TFHs, we conclude that the thermally evaporated multilayer CAC electrode is promising for use as a transparent conductive electrode (TCE) for semi-transparent PSCs and TFHs, with characteristics comparable to sputtered TCEs., GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV)-vacuum system is promising for advanced window application due to its ability to reduce heat transfer, control over admitted solar heat and generates environmentally benign electricity. In this work, numerically thermal comfort for an unfurnished room comprising of BIPV-vacuum glazing was evaluated for the United Kingdom (UK) climate. Required parameters to determine thermal comfort, one-dimensional heat transfer model was developed and validated for BIPV-vacuum glazing and results were compared with BIPV-double-pane glazing system. PV cell temperature difference between these two different types of glazing was 24 °C. For the UK climate, BIPV-vacuum glazing offered 26% higher room temperature at clear sunny day compared to BIPV-double system. BIPV–vacuum glazing system provided soothing or comfortable thermal comfort during mid-day period for a clear sunny day at temperate climate. In a combined BIPV-vacuum glazing, it was also predicted that vacuum glass facing external ambient is suitable for the UK climate whilst vacuum glass facing internal room ambient is applicable for Indian climate.

Reflectorless distance measurements to synthetic materials are subjected to errors result from their partial transparency. The final reflection of the beam is from the background behind the synthe...

Semi-transparent ultrathin Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGSe) solar cells offer many promising applications but their efficiencies are still limited. In this work, SiO2 point contact structures were prepared using nanosphere lithography on Sn:In2O3 (ITO) substrate and ultrathin CIGSe solar cells were fabricated on top. It was discovered that the SiO2 point contact structure at the CIGSe/ITO interface behaves significantly different from at the CIGSe/Mo interface and does not improve the rear interface reflectivity or short-circuit current density. However, the SiO2 point contact structure brings pronounced electrical benefits, arising from the joint effect of reduced back recombination and induced field effect by internal charges. Semi-transparent ultrathin CIGSe solar cells with an absorber thickness of 380 nm exhibited a significant increase in open circuit voltage of 26 mV and fill factor of 9.4% (absolute). Consequently, the efficiency is improved by 23% (from absolute 6.8%–8.4%).

This research dealt with semi-transparent photovoltaic STPV as a substitution material of thetransparent parts of office building envelope. Integrating STPV in facades especially in thetransparent parts plays a major role in improving the thermal performance due to its impact onreducing the amount of solar heat gain thus reducing cooling loads in addition to not having anynegative consequences on the environment. As a result, it is trigger for STPV to be integrated inoffice building facades especially that in these buildings 51-59% of total energy consumption isfor achieving the visual and thermal comfort [1]. This is due to the extensive depending onutilization of mechanical methods in achieving the indoor thermal comfort. As a result of the overconsumption of energy in achieving the thermal comfort, the situation of energy crisis that Egyptis facing nowadays became more worse in addition to increasing the level of pollution and carbonemissions.This paper assesses the thermal performance of STPV integrated in office building facadesthrough simulation conducted with Design builder software. The thermal performance of STPVis evaluated by investigating the efficient design of STPV through different parameters. Theseparameters are window to wall ratio WWR and visible light transmittance VLT, with taking intoaccount the impact of using lighting control system. It is obtained, as a result of this study, thatintegrating STPV in office building facades could save almost half of cooling loads regardless ofthe difference in climatic conditions over the investigated three climatic regions in Egypt. تناول ھذا البحث الخلايا الکھروضوئية شبھ الشفافة کمواد بديلة للأجزاء الشفافة من ال غلاف الخارجى للمبانى الإدارية. حيثأن دمجھا في ال واجھات خاصة في الأجزاء الشفافة منھا يلعب دورا رئيسيا في تحسين الأداء الحراري الداخلى لما لھا منتأثير على تقليل کمية الاکتساب الحرارى وبالتالى تقليل احمال التبريد بالإضافة إلى عدم وجود أي آثار سلبية لھا على البيئة.ونتيجة لذلک ، فإنھ من المحفز أن يتم دمج الخلايا الکھروضوئية شبھ الشفافة في واجھات المباني الإدارية خاصة أنھ في ھذه٥٩ ٪ من إجمالي الطاقة المستھلکة لتحقيق الراحة البصرية والحرارية [ 1]. ويرجع ذلک إلى الاعتماد - المباني يتم استھلاک ٥١المکثف على استخدام الطرق الميکانيکية في تحقيق الراحة الحرارية الداخلية. نتيجة ل ھذا الاستھلاک المفرط للطاقة في تحقيقالراحة الحرارية ، أصبح موقف مصر من أزمة الطاقة التي تواجھھا في الوقت الحاضر أکثر سوءا بالإضافة إلى زيادةمستوى التلوث وزيادة انبعاثات الکربون.فى ھذا ال بحث تم تقييم الأداء الحراري للخلايا الکھروضوئية شبھ الشفافة ال متکاملة في واجھات المباني الإدارية من خلالللوصول الى التصميم الفعال لھا من خلال معايير مختلفة. ھذه الم عايير Design Builder اجراء محاکاة باستخدام برنامجمع الأخذ في الاعتبار تأثير استخدام نظام التحکم في الإضاءة. نتيجة لھذه الدراسة ، تم ال وصول الى ، VLT و WWR ھيأن تکامل الخلايا الکھروضوئية شبھ الشفافة في واجھات المباني الإدارية يمکنھ توفير ما يقرب من نصف أحمال التبريد بغضالنظر عن الاختلاف في الظروف المناخية للمناطق المناخية الثلاثة التي تم التحقيق فيھا في مصر.

In spite of enormous promise in a multitude of applications, semi-transparent organic photovoltaics (ST OPVs) relatively lag behind opaque OPVs in the efficiency, and further efforts are imperative to improve their performance while preserving their transparency and tunable color perceptivity. Here, we develop highly efficient ST OPVs based on quaternary blends (Q-blend) involving non-fullerene small molecules, and demonstrate their realistic application in four-terminal (4T) tandem PVs. The ST quaternary OPV (Q-OPV) exhibits superior power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) higher than those of the state-of-the-art ST OPVs under any irradiation conditions, while retaining high transparency and the possibility of implementing various colors. In particular, we achieve the first PCE value exceeding 15% (~15.46%) under indoor lighting among the ST OPVs reported to date. The 4T tandem configurations based on a ST Q-OPV with diverse opaque PVs demonstrate broadband photon harvesting, with aesthetic functions rendered from the color-codable ST Q-OPV. The benefits of the Q-blend platform, including efficient operation under any irradiation circumstance (both indoor and outdoor lighting) and device color codability via tuning the quaternary components, can further expand the applicability of the ST Q-OPV to various practical applications.

The photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) collector system is a relatively mature technology to harvest energy from the sun and convert to electrical and thermal energy. Recent developments in this field have shown that the PVT system can yield electrical, thermal and combined PVT efficiencies of 13.8%, 54.6% and 68.4% respectively. This introduces the application of a semi-transparent PV to a photovoltaic thermal collector (PVT) system. A new design is proposed with two semi-transparent PVs (STPVs) to enhance the PVT performance. The semi-transparent PV (STPV) will replace the conventional glass cover, and hence will permit a certain percentage of solar radiation to pass through it. The performance of the new PVT configuration with double and single glazing was analysed, where in the double glazing, the STPV replaces the lower glazing. The thermal and electrical efficiencies of the new design configuration were investigated under different climatic conditions at Malaysia, Sudan and UK. The simulation results reveal that the new PVT system could achieve electrical, thermal and combined PVT efficiencies of 20.76%, 65.7% and 86.5% respectively, enhancing the electrical efficiency due to the use of two semi-transparent PV panels and thus improving the energy harvested per unit area, putting a positive step toward the application of a multilayer semi-transparent mono-crystalline silicon PV. However, the PVT glazing is more effective in locations with relatively low ambient temperature, while it is found not feasible in locations with considerably higher temperature. Moreover, the study indicates that the PVT system is not effective for sites with low solar radiation and ambient temperature.

Multi-user collaborative editors are useful computer-aided tools to support human-to-human collaboration. For multi-user collaborative editors, selective undo is an essential utility enabling users to undo any editing operations at any time. Collaborative editors usually adopt operational transformation (OT) to address concurrency and consistency issues. However, it is still a great challenge to design an efficient and correct OT algorithm capable of handling both normal do operations and user-initiated undo operations because these two kinds of operations can interfere with each other in various forms. In this paper, we propose a semi-transparent selective undo algorithm that handles both do and undo in a unified framework, which separates the processing part of do operations from the processing part of undo operations. Formal proofs are provided to prove the proposed algorithm under the well-established criteria. Theoretical analysis and experimental evaluation are conducted to show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the prior OT-based selective undo algorithms.

We present a novel platform for testing the effect of interventions on life- and health-span of a short-lived semi transparent freshwater organism, sensitive to drugs with complex behavior and physiology – the planktonic crustacean Daphnia magna. Within this platform, dozens of complex behavioural features of both routine motion and response to stimuli are continuously accurately quantified for large homogeneous cohorts via an automated phenotyping pipeline. We build predictive machine learning models calibrated using chronological age and extrapolate onto phenotypic age. We further apply the model to estimate the phenotypic age under pharmacological perturbation. Our platform provides a scalable framework for drug screening and characterization in both life-long and instant assays as illustrated using long term dose response profile of metformin and short term assay of such well-studied substances as caffeine and alcohol.

International audience; Transparent flexible organic solar cells (OSCs) are attracting increasing attention as an essential constituent for constructing smart window technologies and integrated photovoltaics (PVs). However, silver nanowire (AgNW) electrodes with negligible sheet resistance, good transmittance, and low costs are especially appealing in the design of flexible OSCs that require similar power conversion efficiency (PCE) values and superior flexibility compared with devices based on indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes. Herein, the new digital printing technology of digital materials deposition to print the poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) as a hole transport layer and AgNWs as top and bottom electrodes for transparent flexible OSCs with an active layer as poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT):phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) are used. All other thin layers are deposited on the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate by the conventional process. The PV performance of the devices under inverted structure PET/AgNWs/ZnO/P3HT:PCBM/PEDOT/AgNWs is short circuit current density (Jsc) = 9.8 mA cm−2, open circuit voltage (Voc) = 0.53 V, fill factor (FF) = 0.60, and PCE = 2.9% with visible light transparency = 45%.

Buildings consume considerable amount of energy to maintain comfortable interior. By allowing daylight, visual comfort inside a building is possible which can enhance the occupant’s health, mood and cognitive performance. However, traditional highly transparent windows should be replaced with semitransparent type window to attain a comfortable daylight inside a building. Evaluation of visual comfort includes both daylight glare and colour comfort analysis. Building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) type windows are promising systems and can possess a range of semitransparent levels depending on the type of PV used. In this work, the semitransparent Perovskite BIPV windows was investigated by employing daylight glare analysis for an office building located in Riyadh, KSA and three wavelength dependent transmission spectra for colour comfort analysis. The results showed that the transmissions range between 50–70% was optimum for the comfortable daylight for south facing vertical pane BPV-windows. However, excellent colour comfort was attained for the transmission range of 90% which provided glare issues. Colour comfort for 20% transparent Perovskite was compared with contemporary other type of PV which clearly indicated that wavelength dependent transmittance is stronger over single value transmittance.

This paper quantifies experimentally the effect of pendant droplets condensed on the back of semitransparent glass panes on their normal-hemispherical transmittance and reflectance in the visible and near-infrared. To enable sample characterization and ensure repeatability, acrylic droplets were deposited on the back side of 3 mm-thick soda-lime silicate glass slabs with or without hydrophobic surface treatment including perfluorinated silane, perfluorinated silane-coated silica nanoparticle monolayer, or Teflon coatings. The droplet contact angle.c was varied between 26 degrees and 76 degrees and the projected surface area coverage reached up to 60%. For contact angle theta(c) smaller than the critical angle.cr for total internal reflection at the droplet/air interface, the presence of droplets did not significantly affect the normalhemispherical transmittance and reflectance. However, for droplet contact angle theta(cr) = theta(c) < 90 degrees, the normal-hemispherical transmittance decreased significantly with increasing droplet contact angle and/or surface area coverage while the normal-hemispherical reflectance increased. The measurements of the normal-hemispherical transmittance were in excellent agreement with numerical predictions obtained from Monte Carlo Ray Tracing method. These results further validate our previous numerical simulations and the different optical regimes identified. The results of this study can provide guidelines for the design and operation of energy efficient flat-plate solar collectors, outdoor photobioreactors, greenhouses, solar desalination systems, and other solar energy conversion systems. (c) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Semi-transparent photovoltaic (STPV) modules are a renewable energy source that significantly affects the energy load of buildings by simultaneously producing power and acting as a window. Therefore, the application of STPV to buildings requires investigation from various perspectives. In this study, the space with STPV was modeled using EnergyPlus and the simulation results were compared with the mock-up data. The characteristics of power production according to cell type were not reflected in simulation because only the cell efficiency was applied to calculate in simulation unlike data obtained from a mock-up. Moreover, the result of analyzing the data based on the mock-up indicated that the indoor temperature in the space with the c-Si module was higher than that in the space with the a-Si. However, the opposite result was derived from simulation. This result was obtained because a temperature increase of modules during power generation was not reflected in simulation. Furthermore, it was found that the indoor temperature was analyzed based on only the u-value and SHGC in simulation because the indoor temperature increasing by the radiation from the STPV was not reflected in simulation. This study proposes the necessity and direction of algorithm improvement through comparison between simulation and mock-up.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

OPVs are uniquely suited for applications that include low-cost semitransparent solar cells for building and greenhouse integration. For successful implementation in these applications, there is a need for high-performance transparent electrodes for both the anode and cathode. Furthermore, removing the need for the commonly used ITO will allow for improved device flexibility and lower cost. This work accomplishes this by utilizing AgNWs as both the cathode and anode to make fully solution-processed flexible ST-OPVs. Here, we describe the device design and processing approach to achieve performance comparable to transparent electrodes based on ITO and metal films.

Young infants may be limited in searching for hidden objects because they lack the means-end motor skill to lift occluders from objects. This account was investigated by presenting 5- to 8-month-old infants with objects hidden behind transparent, semitransparent, and opaque curtains. If a means-end deficit explains search limitations, then infants should search no more for an object behind a transparent curtain than for objects behind semitransparent or opaque curtains. However, level of occlusion had a significant effect on manual search and visual attention. Infants retrieved and contacted the object more, contacted the curtain more, and looked away less with the transparent curtain than with the semi transparent or opaque curtains. Adding a time delay before allowing search and presenting a distraction after occlusion further depressed infants' behavior. The findings fail to support the means-end deficit hypothesis, but are consistent with the account that young infants lack object permanence.

Cu2ZnSn1-xGexSe4 (CZTGSe) thin films have been grown onto Mo/SLG and Mo/V2O5/FTO/SLG substrates using thermal co-evaporation followed by a subsequent thermal annealing. A NaF precursor layer was evaporated prior to the deposition of the kesterite absorber layer. In the samples grown on Mo/SLG, it has been found that Na promotes Ge incorporation into the Cu2ZnSnSe4 lattice. The high concentration of incorporated Ge leads to the segregation of Sn-Se secondary phases as well as to an accumulation of Sn next to the Mo layer. The use of 12 and 16 nm NaF thick precursor layers prior to the CZTGSe deposition leads to absorber band gaps of 1.30 and 1.34 eV, and to device performances of 4.7 and 4.0 %, respectively. A higher Na content, furthermore, caused the formation of bigger grains, a higher charge carrier concentration and a shorter depletion width. A 12 nm NaF precursor layer was used for the devices grown on FTO-based substrates, producing an optimal back contact that allows achieving efficiencies of 5.6 % and transmittance of 30 % in the near infrared range. This enhanced performance can be associated with the absence of secondary phases and Ge distribution through the absorber layer. The formation of a MoSe2 layer at the back interface in all the investigated devices seems to play a crucial role to improve the solar cell efficiency., This work was supported by Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities Project WINCOST (ENE2016-80788-C5-2-R) and European Project INFINITE-CELL (H2020-MSCA-RISE-2017-777968). ARP also acknowledges financial support from Community of Madrid within Youth Employment Program (PEJD-2017-PRE/IND-4062). MG This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 712949 (TECNIOspring PLUS) and the Government of Catalonia's Agency for Business Competitiveness (ACCIÓ). MP acknowledges the financial support from Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities within the Ramón y Cajal Program (RYC-2017-23758). The authors would like to thank K. Mayer-Stillrich and M. Hartig at PVComB-HZB for Mo deposition, Dr. G. San Vicente from CIEMAT for allowing to perform transmittance mesaurements, Prof. Dr. F. Briones from Instituto de Micro y Nanotecnología, CSIC, and Dr. I. Fernández from Nano4Energy for the technical support with the Se evaporation source.

A luminescent solar concentrator-based photovoltaic system (LSC-PVs) is highly transparent because it harvests solar light via the LSC, a transparent panel containing only fluorophores, and is, therefore, promising as a PV window. However, for the practical use of LSC-PV, achieving high efficiency remains a challenge. Here, we demonstrate an LSC-PV, which is based on the combination of an upconversion (UC)-assisted dual band harvesting LSC and perovskite solar cells (PSCs). We prepare a dual LSC panel consisting of a downshift (DS) LSC that absorbs violet light and an LSC that upconverts the red light. We apply a highly efficient mixed halide PSC with an efficiency of 17.22%. We control the thickness of the LSC panel as well as the dye concentration to maximize the emission from dual LSCs. The dual LSCs coupled with a PSC exhibit a high average-visible-transmittance of 82% and achieve a maximum efficiency of 7.53% at 1 sun (AM 1.5G) illumination. The dual LSC–PSC exhibits a constant efficiency even under oblique solar light illumination and a stable operation with an efficiency retention of 80%.

We report the optimisation of a semi-transparent solar cell based on a blend of a recently reported high performance donor polymer (PFBDB-T) with a non-fullerene acceptor derivative (C8-ITIC). The performance is shown to strongly depend on the nature of the semi-transparent electrode, and we report the optimal fabrication conditions for a multilayer MoO3/Ag/MoO3 electrode. The effect of deposition rate and layer thickness of both the Ag and the outer MoO3 on transparency and sheet resistance is investigated, and is shown to have a significant impact on the overall device performance. The optimised PFBDB-T:C8-ITIC based devices exhibit an average power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 9.2% with an average visible transmittance (AVT) of 22%.

Various characteristics of evaporated metal-on-fused silica filters are discussed in relation to their optical transmission properties. Special metal holders provided with shutters were designed to be used with these filters, and are described in detail. Transmittance measurements, performed in various conditions, are reported and indicate that the evaporated metal-on-fused silica filters might present an acceptable material as transfer standards in spectrophotometry.

Infrared thermometry is a widely used technique for contactless temperature measurement, which is often conducted through semi-transparent media. In the present work, influences on the measurement results stemming from semi-transparent media and from the optical characteristics of the measurement setup are discussed. Results of two experimental setups, containing low, medium, and high transmission media are presented and compared to calculated data using a one-dimensional analytical approach and a three-dimensional ray-tracing algorithm. It is shown through modeling and experiments that the surroundings and, in particular, the (semi)transparent materials within the optical path are critical for accurate temperature measurements.

The energy performances of c-Si PV windows and a-Si PV windows have been investigated comprehensively worldwide. However, CdTe thin film PV windows which are supposed to achieve better performance due to its higher efficiency are rarely studied. This study evaluated the energy performance of semi-transparent CdTe thin film PV window applying on commercial buildings. The results show that CdTe PV windows have large energy saving potential in Hong Kong, and the annual energy generation of per unit CdTe PV windows is 52.3kWh/m 2 . Compared to the common window and a-Si PV window, the saving in net energy consumption is 19.6% and 15.3%, respectively.

The influence of optical characteristics of semitransparent thermal barrier coatings (TBC) on thermal regulation of heat-stressed elements of power plants is studied. There was used the developed by the authors methodology of physical and mathematical simulation of thermoradiational (in the range 1-2 μm) and conductive heat transmission in ceramic thermal insulation of chamber combustion inner walls of a diesel engine. The paper discusses temporal temperature regimes in model two-layer TBC-coatings in the form of a selectively scattering and absorbing (in the near infrared range) ceramic heat-insulating layer, deposited on the bonding sublayer (with boundary reflection) of the internal surface of the combustion chamber of Low Heat Rejection diesel. Spectrophotometric measurements of the optical parameters have ensured estimates of optical and thermal fields of the investigated ceramics, the structural composition of which was determined on the basis of ZrO2+8%Y2O3. For typical values of radiant-convective flux up to 1-2 MW/m2 (effecting on heat-stressed elements of heat-insulated combustion chamber of a diesel engine in pulse-periodic regime) optical and structural parameters TBC-coatings that ensure control and superintendence of the ceramic layer surface temperature and its temperature gradient were proposed.

Semi-transparent photovoltaic (STPV) glazing can beautify the architectural appearance, generate power in-place. However, few researches study the climate adaptability of monocrystalline silicon STPV glazing. For the STPV glazing system, this paper develops a multi-physics model including the solar radiation, optical, electrical, and thermal models to analyze its overall performance. The model is validated by experiment. The performance of the STPV glazing system with different solar cell coverage ratios (R) in various climate zones of China (Guangzhou, Changsha, Kunming, Lhasa, and Beijing) is also studied. Among the five cities, the energy output of the STPV glazing system is proportional to the R value, and all follow approximately the same trend as the incident solar radiation. However, the geographic latitude has a greater impact on the electrical performance of the STPV glazing system than solar radiation. The thermal performance is primarily affected by the ambient temperature. The STPV glazing system performs well in the temperate area, with low cooling demand and high annual energy output. Compared with the traditional single clear glazing, the overall performance of the STPV glazing system is better, especially when the large solar cell coverage ratio. This paper provides a research basis for application in different climate zones.

Ultra-thin Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGSe) is a promising absorber for thin-film solar cells, as it combines the advantages of low raw material consumption and high conversion efficiency. In addition, ultra-thin absorbers on transparent back contacts bring the advantage of semitransparency, which is essential for e.g. tandem or bifacial solar cells. This work optimizes ultra-thin CIGSe on In2O3:Sn (ITO) for application in bifacial semi-transparent ultra-thin (BSTUT) CIGSe solar cells. Firstly, 100–400 nm ITO were coated onto glass substrates, and it was revealed that the thickness of ITO influences its optical bandgap Eg due to the Burstein-Moss (B-M) shift. The band gap of 400 nm ITO increased by 0.14 eV compared to the 100 nm thick ITO, and the Voc of the related BSTUT CIGSe solar cells raised by 0.043 V as a result of the diminished Schottky barrier Φ b at the ITO/CIGSe interface. Secondly, 0–8 mg of NaF used for post deposition treatment (PDT) of the CIGSe were applied to the BSTUT solar cells. Compared to the reference without NaF, 8 mg NaF PDT enhanced the carrier density NA from 2 × 1015cm−3 to 1.2 × 1016cm−3 and diminished the ITO/CIGSe Schottky barrier Φ b by 0.21 eV. In conclusion, we found that NaF PDT can tune the carrier density of ultra-thin CIGSe on ITO, and both thicker ITO and higher NaF PDT dose can reduce the ITO/CIGSe Schottky barrier. These discoveries enable future optimization of BSTUT CIGSe solar cells.

Electric glue plays a key role in laminating top electrodes for organic and perovskite thin-film solar cells. However, there has been seldom reported for chemically reactive low–work function electrode yet. In this paper, polyethyleneimine (PEI) was developed as transparent top electrode adhesive, surface modifier for air-stable low–work function, and barrier to suppress the chemical corrosion of metal electrode in perovskite solar cells. The lamination was finished under room temperature with a pressure as low as 8 MPa, which is a very mild condition for device fabrication. The solar cells with transparent top electrode laminated for 10min had the best performances, in which the average value of PEI thickness between silver nanowires and the adjacent layer was found to play a key role in adjusting the performance of solar cells.

Open-cell foams have been accepted as one of the most promising substrates in immobilized photoreactors due to high mass transfer efficiency and large specific area but did not show a significant advantage over other substrates. A real-geometry-based computational fluid dynamic model of the photoreactor packed with idealized restructured β-SiC foams for the gas-phase photodegradation of methylethylketone (MEK) using the rutile TiO2 thick film is proposed to clarify the unanticipated inferior performance quantitatively. The difference in transparency of the substrate is demonstrated as the origin of inferior performance that the MEK conversion ratio with glass foams is 30.5% and 25.98% higher than those with opaque foams and with glass Raschig rings, respectively. Moreover, the semi-transparent substrate breaks through the limitation of the photoactivity with the foams of high cell density, that the MEK conversion could reach 11.1% when ρc = 45 ppi, improved by approximately 183% when compared to the opaque samples.

Use of ventilated semi-transparent photovoltaic (STPV) module integrated window systems offer energy saving vis-a-vis heating/cooling requirement along with energy generation. The present work investigates the net potential outcomes of the STPV window system in a composite climate of India. Consideration of effect of Angle of Incidence (AOI) on energy generation is another pivotal aspect of the study. Detail analysis of variation in the generation and net energy consumption with design cum installation parameters and Opto-thermal characteristics of STPV module have been presented. The analysis has been carried using both experimental and simulation data. The application of high efficient cadmium telluride (CdTe) STPV module resulted in more energy generation from the window systems. The maximum energy generation of the highest efficient module was found to be 119.6 kWh/m2/yr. A window as per the recommendation of the energy conservation building code of India was considered as reference case to analyze the energy-saving potential of the STPV systems. Compared to the reference window, the saving in net energy consumption was found to be as high as 60.4%. The findings of the research indicate that the considered STPV technology based window system has great potential in the daytime used buildings of the studied location.

Direct Volume Rendering (DVR) provides the possibility to visualize volumetric data sets as they occur in many scientific disciplines. With DVR semi-transparency is facilitated to convey ...

Semi-transparent perovskite solar cells (Pero-SCs) are realized by tuning the band gap of the perovskite to resolve the trade-off between the transparency and efficiency of the photo-absorber. We synthesized wide-bandgap MAPbI3−xBrx perovskite, and the transparency and efficiency of the corresponding semi-transparent Pero-SCs were investigated systematically by varying the I : Br ratio and thickness of the perovskite film. Increasing Br content widened the bandgap of perovskite (i.e., blue shift of the absorption edge), and led to an increase in the average visible transmittance (AVT). This strategy allowed for high AVTs, and concomitantly achieved high power conversion efficiencies. Meanwhile, increasing the Br content could facilitate formation of perovskite films with large grains that were highly crystallized. Compared with the narrow-bandgap perovskite, the wide-bandgap perovskite showed advantages for obtaining semi-transparent Pero-SCs with thick perovskite films (>200 nm) and high (20%) transparency.

The transfer from poly-3hexylthiophene (P3HT) based fullerene free organic photovoltaic (OPV) lab cells with IDTBR (rhodanine-benzothiadiazole-coupled indacenodithiophene) as acceptor material to fully solution processed roll-to-roll (R2R) compatible modules is reported. The developed R2R process is fully compatible with industrial requirements as it uses exclusively non-hazardous solvents. The combination of optimized ink formulation, module layout, and processing affords efficiencies of 5% on 60 cm2 total module area.

We propose a flexible proximity sensor to detect sub-centimeter distance with an ultra-high displacement resolution. The proximity sensor is realized by integrating a semi-transparent organic photo detector with a transparent top electrode and a finger-type bottom electrode. By placing the semi-transparent finger-type photodetector on a light source, such as a light-emitting diode (LED), the photodetector can detect the light reflected from an object on top of the sensor. With the highly compact structure, the detecting range is from 1 mm to 30 mm. From 1 mm to 10 mm, the sensor is particularly sensitive and delivers a resolution of 1 mm. The air-stable photodetector can also be fabricated on a flexible substrate without encapsulation, enabling the integration with arbitrary light sources. After 1000 times bending, the flexible photodetector shows no obvious degradation.