Joint research being carried out by chemical giant BASF and Philips could lead to car roof panels that are transparent during daylight hours, but then act as a light source in darkness. Part of a consortium assembled by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the pair have created OLED panels that glow when powered, and then turn transparent when switched off.
The added bonus is that since the panels are
so thin, they can be combined with transparent solar panel
technology to create a composite material which also generates
energy during the day.We see no reason why this should
be restricted to car roofs. Why not external windows in
office buildings. Need to "shut the blinds" for a video
conference, easy. Need to light to room at the
same time, no problem. Fancy reducing your installation’s carbon footprint
at the same time? Yup, we can do that as well.