Researchers from North Carolina State University are exploring the potential of harnessing energy coming from see-through solar panels installed on greenhouses.

The team's findings were published in the journal Joule.

 

As reported by InterestingEngineering.com, the energy is gathered through the wavelengths of light that photosynthesis does not make use of.

Brendan O'Connor, the corresponding author of the study and an associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the school explained that the process entails organic solar cells, which allow them "to tune the spectrum of light that the solar cell absorbs," so the wavelengths the plants do need get through.

The research is focusing on how much energy could be captured with organic solar cells that can be semitransparent, and what percentage of a greenhouse's electric requirements could be offset by that energy.

The team set up experiments in Arizona, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.
In Arizona, they found that greenhouses could be made energy neutral while only blocking 10% of the natural daylight. In North Carolina, the amount was 20%. In Wisconsin, while energy neutrality could not be attained, the organic solar cells still harnessed nearly half of the greenhouse's energy requirements.