Recent progress in semitransparent organic solar cells

Semitransparent organic photovoltaic (ST-OPV) cells, with their transparency and aesthetic characteristics, demonstrate tremendous application potential in the field of building integrated photovoltaics (BIPVs), such as photovoltaic windows, skylights, and photovoltaic greenhouses. Unlike traditional inorganic materials, the unique absorption characteristics of organic materials enable ST-OPV cells to selectively utilize the solar spectrum, balancing both the power conversion efficiency (PCE) and the average visible transmittance (AVT). With the rapid development of narrow bandgap acceptor materials, the PCE of ST-OPV cells has reached over 13%, and the AVT has exceeded 20%. This work reviews the latest progress of ST-OPV cells, summarizes the optimization strategies of high performance ST-OPV cells in terms of active layer engineering, electrode engineering, and device engineering. Finally, some insightful guidelines are provided for future developments in ST-OPV cells from materials, device and commercialization points.