Many people in the microscopy world are familiar with quantum dots – semiconductor nanocrystals with well-defined light emitting properties – as fluorescent labels. Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory have demonstrated how quantum dot-based solar panels can be scaled up for practical use, large enough to be used as a building window when used in luminescent solar concentrators (LSC). Quantum dots in LSCs absorb photons and emit light at a lower energy, guided by total internal reflection to the edges of the device, where they are collected by photovoltaic cells.