  Semi-transparent photovoltaics (ST-PV) provide smart spatial solutions to
integrate solar cells into already-built areas. Here, we study the potential of
semiconductor nanowires (NWs) as promising ST-PV. We perform FDTD simulations
for different PV materials in a wide range of array geometries, from which we
compute PV performance next to perceived appearance. Surprisingly we find an
unusual compromise between photocurrent and transmittance as a function of NW
diameter that enables NW-based PV to outperform theoretical limits of
non-wavelength selective ST-PV. We theoretically and experimentally demonstrate
the robustness of NW arrays to different illumination conditions. We provide
the origin behind the outperforming NW array geometries, which is crucial for
designing NW-based ST-PV systems based on specific needs.
