Photovoltaic devices having photoactive layers coupled to buffer layers are disclosed. Such devices may be transparent to visible light but absorb near-infrared light and/or ultraviolet light. The photovoltaic devices may include a p-phenylene layer that acts as a buffer layer. The photovoltaic devices may include one or more photoactive layers. The one or more photoactive layers may include a single planar heterojunction, a single bulk heterojunction (BHJ), or multiple stacked BHJs that have complementary absorption characteristics, among other possibilities.