This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project entitled "A sustainable Wavelength Selective Energy Producing Greenhouse" will demonstrate a greenhouse that can utilize land for both food production and electricity production. A cost effective and highly durable greenhouse panel has been developed that simultaneously facilitates plant growth, reduces cooling requirements and generates power at less than $1/watt incremental cost. The greenhouse uses a proprietary material to selectively absorb the green portion of the solar spectrum that is not used by plants. The Green light is then transferred to photovoltaic cells mounted at the edge of the panel for power. The color tuning associated with controlling the red/blue ratio of transmitted light has been shown to facilitate fruit production in tomatoes and increase flower production. The color tuning materials have achieved greater than a 20 year lifetime in full sun based on high humidity / high intensity UV aging studies. This project will build a full greenhouse with these materials and obtain results on both plant growth and demonstrate a sustainable, energy neutral, "off the grid" greenhouse.
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will be to better utilize the limited land and water resources of this country. Much of the remote land that might be suitable for solar energy is too far from transmission lines or sub-stations to be economically viable and is environmentally sensitive. Agricultural land already coexists with population centers and contains the necessary infrastructure for power transmission. Merging both power generation and food production can increase the productivity of land near population centers with greenhouses that will bring the food source closer to the consumer, extend the growing season and conserve/recycle valuable water resources. The commercialization of this power generating greenhouse will start a complimentary energy-agriculture industry that can best utilize our scarce natural resources. Greenhouse construction is a multi-billion industry and is growing as population and food consumption grows. The project will work with local universities to create a new generation of botanist/biologist/physicist that can serve a rapidly growing solar/agriculture market sector. The demonstration greenhouse will be used as a learning center for students from middle school to graduate school.
. The greenhouse will provide a second harvest of electricity for greenhouse growers of vegetables and flowers. Intellectual Merits A cost effective and highly durable greenhouse cover has been tested in a small demonstration greenhouse. The greenhouse used a proprietary method to selectively absorb only the green portion of the solar spectrum that is not used by plants and couple this to photovoltaic cells to generate power. Plant growth is helped by controlling the spectrum of the light for optimum growth. Tests were also performed in a commercial greenhouse to understand the impact the altered light spectrum on plant growth. The altered light spectrum had either neutral or positive impact on pant growth depending on crop and conditions. Broader Impact If successful, this product will reduce the energy required to produce food in a greenhouse and lower the carbon footprint for food production. The product will help the rapidly growing local food industry and save natural resources by growing food close to where it is consumed. The commercialization of this power generating greenhouse will create a completely new energy source that can pay for itself in 5 years and can also provide fresh flowers and vegetables to local consumers. Panel are being installed into one 6,000 sq. ft. bay of an operating commercial greenhouse to test the altered light in a real greenhouse growing conditions.
