Researchers investigate solar panels for greenhouses

Greenhouse panels. (Credit: Neiker-Tecnalia)

From ScienceDaily: University researchers are working on a greenhouse-solar-panel system that allows electricity to be generated without the crops being affected by over-shading.

Depending on the season, solar radiation can be diverted by taking advantage of the annual oscillation in the height of the sun's trajectory; this is achieved through a lens-based optical system. Without the need for any solar mechanical monitoring, the technology allows the needs imposed by any crop to be met.

In layman’s terms: during the winter (October-February), the light inside the greenhouse barely falls. But in summer the optical system diverts solar radiation towards the photovoltaic cells that make up the module, thus achieving a dual aim: to provide the greenhouse with cooling during the critical period of high temperatures and to increase electricity production through the photovoltaic system.

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