Most homes are built to use energy, not make it. But some researchers are asking a different question: What if a residential rooftop could produce power, grow food, and even help fuel a car?
Agrivoltaics flips the script by enabling solar panels and food cultivation to share the same footprint. In a study recently published in the journal Energy and Buildings, researchers at the University of Exeter explored how pairing solar panels with crops could also support on-site hydrogen production.
With agrivoltaics, solar panels soak up the sun above while plants like tomatoes grow below. But what makes this newly investigated concept really special is that it could also be used to generate green hydrogen right at home.
That hydrogen isn't some abstract science project. It could power hydrogen fuel-cell cars and run "smart windows" that darken or lighten depending on how much heat or light is desired indoors — all without pulling extra power from the grid.
To see if this might actually work in real life, the researchers modeled an everyday house in Birmingham, England — think normal rooftop in an urban setting, not a sci-fi megastructure. The simulated roof pulled in enough sunlight to power the home's smart windows for a year and produce hydrogen for short daily drives in a small hydrogen vehicle.
The setup also allowed for tomatoes to grow beneath the panels, showing that food and energy don't have to compete for space.
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"This research presents a new building-integrated energy concept, linking agrivoltaics, hydrogen, smart façades, and mobility," researcher and study co-author Aritra Ghosh told pv magazine. "It offers a fresh perspective on how buildings could become active, multifunctional energy hubs."
Generating electricity and green hydrogen right where people live and work could reduce energy losses and reliance on carbon-intensive power plants. And what makes this discovery stand out isn't only the technology, but where it could realistically lead — lower energy bills at home, more plant-based food, and increased transportation fueling options.
We may still be a few years away from rooftops pulling triple duty everywhere, but the research hints at a future when your house isn't just where you live — it's where your energy, food, and mobility options can grow.
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