“It’s possible to grow lettuce in greenhouses that filter out wavelengths of light used to generate solar power, according to a new study.
The findings demonstrate the feasibility of using see-through solar panels in greenhouses to generate electricity.
“We were a little surprised—there was no real reduction in plant growth or health,” says Heike Sederoff, a professor of plant biology at North Carolina State University and co-corresponding author of the study in Cell Reports Physical Science. “It means the idea of integrating transparent solar cells into greenhouses can be done.”
Because plants don’t use all of the wavelengths of light for photosynthesis, researchers have explored the idea of creating semi-transparent organic solar cells that primarily absorb wavelengths of light that plants don’t rely on, and incorporating those solar cells into greenhouses.”
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Shipman, Matt. Futurity 18 march 2021.