Australian scientists have developed windows that let sunshine in for plants while capturing some rays to make electricity, reported PV Magazine.
Farms use tons of water and power. This breakthrough tackles both problems at once, trimming energy needs by 57% and water use by 29%.
The innovation comes from Murdoch University and ClearVue Technologies. Their special glass windows allow about 70% of light through while converting sunlight to electricity at the edges. Each window panel generates 30-33 watts per square meter, according to a study published in the journal Cleaner Engineering and Technology.
"The core concept for this project is to harvest food and energy simultaneously so that we can overcome the food, energy, and environment trilemma challenge," Murdoch professor Chengdao Li, who led the research, told PV Magazine.
Most plants grown in the test greenhouse thrived just as well as under regular glass. Some crops, like snow peas, actually produced 12% more. The researchers tested 18 plants across two growing seasons in Perth, Australia.
This technology could transform farming in a warming world. Greenhouses already help farmers grow food with less water, but they traditionally consume lots of electricity for cooling, heating, and ventilation. These solar windows could make greenhouses self-sufficient, running purely on the energy they generate.
Computer models suggest this approach would work worldwide. The team ran simulations for locations as diverse as Rio de Janeiro, Beijing, New Delhi, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, and Haifa, Israel, finding that properly designed solar greenhouses could meet 100% of their energy needs.
By reducing water and power demands, these windows make growing food cleaner and more affordable. Farms using less electricity mean fewer pollutants released from power plants, benefiting everyone's health.
The future of farming might be as clear as glass and just as powerful as a solar farm. Look for this technology to appear in commercial greenhouses within the next few years as testing continues and manufacturing scales up.
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