This material could replace glass in standard windows and make traditional lighting solutions obsolete. An essential modern-day convenience, artificial lighting drains limited natural resources, consuming approximately 22 percent of all the electricity produced in the United States. Most of the world still relies on grossly inefficient lighting technology created in the 19th century. Incandescent bulbs, for example, waste more than 90 percent of the energy they consume. Use of solar-powered and solid-state lighting is on the rise. Solid-state lighting includes light-emitting diodes (LEDs), organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and light-emitting polymers. Researchers at the University of Florida have created a material that emits light in an effort to maximize efficiency. It includes an OLED device, a solar cell for power generation, and a lithium ion battery for energy storage. With all non-transparent components situated at the outer edges, this material can serve as a substitute for glass in a window. This invention could substantially reduce residential and commercial energy costs.
Translucent material that emits light, alternating between two sources (solar power and battery power) as needed
This invention integrates an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a power-generation device (solar cell), and an energy-storage device (lithium ion battery or LIB) to power a grid-free lighting module. PV/LIB/LED voltage and capacity matching ensure maximal energy storage and optimal conversion efficiency. The outermost layer that faces the external environment consists of a transparent electrode. The next stratum generates power and includes a PV absorbing layer and PV electrode. Following this is the energy utilizing component, an OLED layer that allows for the transportation and emission of electrons. Finally, an ITO layer (flanked by batteries) rests atop the system’s transparent substrate.
