Metamaterials for Solar Energy Technology - Tackling resource security, application, integrations and power density challenges
A case study by Katie Shanks
University of 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ
The challenge
Reliable and effective solar energy as one of the key solutions for sustainable and secure energy for the UK. The ideal solar technology would be highly efficient, lightweight, low cost, and carbon efficient. To meet the required solar technology capacity growth for the UK’s net zero targets our products also need to perform better when applied in any orientation or any environment. Current application challenges are in building integration and vehicle integration (e.g. Electric Vehicles as well as marine based vessels) where available solar harvesting space is limited and the ideal orientation is far from guaranteed.
Many sectors are trying to reduce their carbon footprint and solar photovoltaics are one of the few renewable energy technologies that can be utilised on sub mm areas up to km sized fields making them the only established renewable energy technology capable of providing sustainable energy at the point of need - integrated into everyday infrastructures.
However, current solar panel technology is either efficient but expensive, or lightweight and less powerful. The goal is to develop high efficiency ultralightweight and compact meta-optics for the next generation of integrated solar energy technology.
Our solution
Dr Shanks looks at solar concentrators which are a combination of optics with solar thermal or photovoltaic receivers. Within this, there is a focus on nano-structured optics, or metamaterial optics to condition natural sunlight into a more ideal and high-power density source of energy for the photovoltaic materials to convert. This is a highly effective method of increasing the efficiency of solar photovoltaic materials without requiring more of the critical materials mined outside the UK.
Another area Dr Shanks is interested in is bio-mimicry where the multifunctional optical properties of natural materials such as butterfly wings and moth eyes can be explored with regards to the management of light and hence their potential benefits for solar panel performance. Again, natures optics often utilise nanostructured materials not dissimilar to metamaterials (the most well-known example being structural colour).
Why use a metamaterial?
By using optical metamaterials we achieve multiple objectives:
- Improve Integration potential by reducing the thickness and weight of solar energy technology.
- Reduce the amount of high carbon footprint photovoltaic material (e.g. silicon, GaAs, CdTe and more) by focusing sunlight onto smaller receiver areas.
- Relax the demand on critical material resource without compromising on the UK’s sustainable energy targets.
- Increase the power density of sunlight by focusing and manipulating the wavelengths to match the photovoltaic receiver more effectively – a metamaterial speciality.
- Increase annual energy generation for integrated solar energy devices by implementing passive and micro-tracking meta-optics to match the movement of sun across days and seasons.
- Overall improve the UK’s resource security for energy and critical materials.
Related Article Publications:
Hosseinghorbani, A., Li, Jensen., Shanks, K. Exploring metalenses as compact solar concentrators with improved wide-angle performance for integrated systems, Proc. SPIE 14075, Metamaterials XV, 1407508 (26 May 2026);
George H Creasey, Andreas Kafizas, Katie Shanks, et al. Concentration without complexity: enhancing stationary photoelectrochemical reactor performance with diffuse light concentrating optics. ChemRxiv. 20 February 2026.
DOI:
Ceballos, M.A.; Perez-Higueras, P.; Shanks, K.; Montes-Romero, J.; Valera, A.; Almonacid, F.; Fernández, E.F. Improvement of Tracking-Integrated Photovoltaic Systems Using Secondary Optical Elements. Electronics 2025, 14, 3175.
Barnham, K. W. J., French-Constant, R. H., & Shanks, K. (2025). Applications of NanoPhotovoltaics to the Artificial Leaf and Other Examples of Biomimicry. In Quantum and Nano Technologies for Photovoltaics: Second Edition.
Alzahrani, M. M., Shanks, K., Chanchangi, Y., Cameron, W. J., Maatallah, T. S., & Mallick, T. K. (2024). Record high solar concentration ratio for photovoltaics: Experimental validation for achieving effective concentration of >1200 suns. Solar Energy, 271, 112427.
Li, X., Li, K., Sun, Y., Wilson, R., Peng, J., Shanks, K., Mallick, T., & Wu, Y. (2024). Comprehensive investigation of a building integrated crossed compound parabolic concentrator photovoltaic window system: Thermal, optical and electrical performance. Renewable Energy, 223, 119791.
Martin, K., Shanks, K., Liu, Y., Kim, J., Haghanifar, S., Zarei, M., Sharma, S., & Leu, P. W. (2024). Minimizing annual reflection loss in fixed-tilt photovoltaic modules using graded refractive index (GRIN) anti-reflective glass. Solar Energy, 272.
Moore, K. R., Marquis, E., Shanks, K., & Wall, F. (2024). Mining of primary raw materials as the critical foundation of ‘sustainable’ metals: a wicked problem for technology innovation clusters. Philosophical Transactions A, 382(2284).