Highly Transparent, Spectrally Selective Power-Generating Windows Based on WO3–x Nanorods and Carbon Dots for Full-Spectrum Utilization

Abstract

Near-infrared (NIR) shielding windows can selectively regulate excess solar radiation to reduce heating and cooling energy consumption in a built environment. However, the dissipation of ultraviolet (UV) and visible light into waste heat is inevitable, leading to inefficient solar energy utilization. Herein, a tandem spectrally selective power-generating (SSPG) window is developed by incorporating oxygen-deficient tungsten oxide WO_3–x nanorod-based NIR shielding windows and red-emissive carbon dot-based luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) to realize full-spectrum utilization. Semitransparent NIR shielding modules absorb NIR light to reduce indoor thermal radiation, while a semitransparent LSC coupled with a photovoltaic system converts UV and partially visible light into electricity. The SSPG window exhibits a visible light transmittance of up to 70.44% and power conversion efficiency of 0.31%, while effectively reducing the indoor temperature by 7 °C under sunlight irradiation. In addition, this SSPG window has good thermal-/photostability and excellent NIR shielding performance after heat treatment and UV irradiation. This work may provide a new avenue for the development of energy-saving windows.