Organic Dye Turns Windows into Sun Catchers

Staff

Organic dyes have been used to harvest the sunlight streaming through the windows in your home. Up to 20% of the light can be captured and redirected to photovoltaic cells around the edge of the window, creating electricity. The idea is to coat ordinary glass with an organic dye, allowing a large area of light to be captured then focused onto a small cell, a much more efficient method than using traditional photovoltaic cells.

Marc Baldo, an MIT engineer, says that the idea is not a new one but improving the dyes used in the process was the key to success. According to NewScientist, "The team says that together, the dyes can absorb light across the visible spectrum and emit it at the longer frequencies needed for optimal conversion."