Solar energy is a renewable free source of
energy that is plentiful and inexhaustible, but the shortage of suitable
locations in some countries is a hindrance when installing solar systems. The
solar panel cannot not be a realistic option in countries where there are
limited farmlands, according to Jan Ingenhoff, Ph.D., a research professor at
the Institute of Advanced Technology, the University of Science &
Technology of China (USTC).
An innovative new solar panel system, which would allow
plant growth and solar energy generation simultaneously on the same land,
developed by Ingenhoff along with fellow-researchers Wen Liu, Ph.D. and their
team at USTC could solve this concern. The team developed a new type of solar
panel system, which is called the Agriculture Solar Concentrator Photovoltaic.
So, how does it work? Plants do not need 100% of the
light sources the sun provides, and the system is based on this concept.
Ingenhoff explained that plants need only around 10% of the light, some blue
and some red light, and the rest can be utilized for solar energy generation.
The solar-panels are semi-transparent and curved,
allowing some light to go through them, which will allow the plants to grow,
and also produce solar energy. Furthermore, the panels covered with a film
created by several polymer layers placed together to form a dichroitic
multilayer film. The system has dual tracking, and can be adjusted for different
season i.e. winter and summer.
The research team is currently working on four prototypes
installed in China. And, the team is also planning two more installations
planned for 2019 and 2020, and they hope to make their system commercially
available.
Meanwhile, the Agriculture Solar Concentrator
Photovoltaic is used to improve plant growth, especially in drought-stricken
regions. And, the team is working on growing the use of their system outside of
Asia, and at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Colorado to set
up new prototypes and joint actives.
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