Affiliation:
1. Photoelectric and Energy Device Application Lab (PEDAL) Multidisciplinary Core Institute for Future Energies (MCIFE) Incheon 22012 Republic of Korea
2. Department of Electrical Engineering Incheon National University 119 Academy Rd. Yeonsu Incheon 22012 Republic of Korea
Abstract
In this study, a proof of concept for seamless energy flow is demonstrated by converting light energy into electrical energy and then storing it. A simple heterojunction structure of an FTO/ZnO/NiO/AgNWs/ZnO array transparent photovoltaic (TPV) device is employed to ensure an excellent average visible transmittance value of 67.7% while storing light energy as electrical energy in a capacitor bank. By simple and stable array connection of unit cell devices, the power leakage is minimized while maximizing output voltage. In the array TPV device, an open‐circuit voltage of 1.4 V is achieved under 365 nm illumination, with a voltage of 1.26 V stored in the capacitor bank, accumulating to over 6 V. The stored electrical energy is successfully converted for use by an light‐emitting diode (LED) light source, demonstrating sustained light‐up for over 30 s. This work explores facile energy generation, storage and utilization through TPVs, with a good potential for transparent energy harvesting and human interface applications.