Luminescent solar concentrators: Current and future applications in smart cities

This chapter explores the evolution and potential applications of luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs), focusing on recent advancements and prospects. LSCs are integrated solar-harvesting devices designed for buildings and façades, consisting of planar waveguides doped or coated with emissive materials. The LSC technology has significantly advanced over the past decade, making strides in integration with buildings and various applications beyond traditional photovoltaic (PV) systems. The Lanthanide (Ln)-based materials are highlighted for their spectral conversion capabilities, offering large and tunable ligands-induced Stokes shifts and emissions across the visible to near-infrared spectrum. These materials show promise in minimizing reabsorption losses and enhancing photon-to-electricity conversion. Machine learning (ML) algorithms are introduced as tools to expedite materials development and optimization processes, potentially unlocking further advancements in LSC technology. Beyond energy generation, LSCs find applications in mobile sensing, smart windows, and real-time responsive systems. Overall, the chapter provides a comprehensive overview of LSC technology, highlighting its role in addressing current urban energy challenges, its potential applications beyond energy generation, and the avenues for future research and development, particularly in leveraging Ln-based materials and ML.