Described herein is an apparatus and method used to provide power or photovoltaic functionality to a display or device containing a display without impacting the visual perception of the display. The wavelength-selective photovoltaic (WPV) element is visibly transparent, in that it absorbs selectively around the visible emission (or reflection) peaks generated by the display. The photovoltaic material is able to cover a portion or the entire surface area of the display, without substantially blocking or perceptually impacting the emission (or reflection) of content from the display. The incident light that is absorbed by the photovoltaic element is then converted into electrical energy to provide power to the device, for example.