Sunlight harvesting transparent windows

A window, comprising:

• a first glass sheet and a second glass sheet, wherein window is configured where visible light travels through a front side of the window, through the first glass sheet and the second glass sheet and out of a backside of the window, and
• a combined nanoparticle polymer layer sandwiched between and in contact with the first and second glass sheets to produce a waveguide, the combined nanoparticle polymer layer comprising a transparent polymer layer having a multiplicity of metal nanoparticles dispersed on or within the transparent polymer layer, wherein the multiplicity of metal nanoparticles scatter light energy in at least visible and near-infrared regions of an electromagnetic spectrum, wherein the multiplicity of metal nanoparticles scatter the light energy at the surface plasmon resonance frequency where excitation of the multiplicity of metal nanoparticles surface plasmon oscillation occurs, wherein the metal nanoparticles decorate at least one surface of the combined nanoparticle polymer layer on a plane parallel to large area faces of the window, and
• a frame comprising at least one photovoltaic cell configured to harvest laterally scattered light energy from the near-infrared and/or the near-ultraviolet regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, the at least one photovoltaic cell residing in the frame perpendicular to a light receiving face of the window and parallel the waveguide to receive the laterally scattered light energy, wherein the waveguide has an edge where the waveguide meets the frame, wherein the waveguide is configured to direct the light energy to at least one photovoltaic cell in the frame at the edge of the waveguide.