I’ve seen this effect with a piece of day glow orange Plexiglas I have, the edges appears very bright. the dye captures some of the sun’s ultra-violet and converts it into visible light. Then the light bounces between the surfaces of the plastic and exits at the edges, somewhat like what happens with fiber optic cables. At least this is what I think is going on. This video on National Geographic is short on scientific detail and long on manufacturer’s claims.
The expensive silicon that does the actual conversion from light to electricity is attached only to the outer edges of the panes. There it collects the color light they are designed to be the most sensitive to. These panels can be used as colorful windows, and are said to be able to disperse harmful heat away from the silicon. But their main advantage over regular solar cells is the ability to generate electricity without being in direct sunlight.
