Spectral Splitting Luminescent Solar Concentrator Panels for Agrivoltaic Applications

Abstract

A diverse range of sustainable energy sources will play a crucial role in building a sustainable future and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. There is an increase in competition between food and energy production for land use and as such, interest in co-use of land for both agricultural and energy production has become an area of interest for research [1]. Multiple studies have been conducted that analyse various approaches for using silicon solar panels on greenhouse roofs and the effects on crop yields, energy production and microclimate. [2] [3] [4] [5] This study investigates the concept of using semi-transparent luminescent solar concentrators as greenhouse rooftop panels for the co-production of food and energy. Both the crops and luminescent dyes used in solar concentrators have a specific absorption spectrum for solar radiation. [6] Plants have a high absorption of light in the blue and red spectrum with peaks at 440 nm, 620 nm, and 670 nm [7] which it uses for photo morphological/phototropic responses and photosynthesis, respectively [8]. A luminescent concentrator that allows light of these wavelengths to pass undisrupted through while capturing energy for electrical conversion from other areas of the spectrum offers a promising solution to agrivoltaic applications. Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) consists of solar radiation from between 400-700 nm which is used by crops to drive photosynthesis. Non-PAR, or non-photosynthetically active radiation, is light that falls outside these wavelengths such as infrared and UV radiation which can be captured and converted into electricity without impacting the photosynthetic rate of the crops. Luminescent dyes that absorb light in the PAR region and the IR region are integrated into the model. By carefully choosing a luminescent dye that absorbs radiation from the non-PAR spectral region and from the regions of low photosynthetic absorption in the PAR region, electricity can be generated while minimizing the effects of reduced solar irradiance on crop yield. By reducing the amount of light entering the greenhouse the crop experiences a shading effect and the micro-climate within the greenhouse is altered. Shading on greenhouses is commonly used in warm climates during summer [9] [10] [11]. An analysis of the literature on the effects of shading in greenhouses was done to assess the possible impacts of semitransparent roof material on the microclimates and crop yields in greenhouses. A reduction of solar radiation due to greenhouse shading was found to have a beneficial effect on crop yield and water use in climates/seasons with high solar irradiance and hot temperatures [3] [9] [10] [11]. Herein we perform numerical analysis to model a greenhouse made using semi-transparent roof-top panels that function as luminescent solar concentrators that direct non-PAR onto photovoltaic cells located at the edges of the panels. Our results show that by designing LSCs with optimal concentrations and types of dye the operation of a greenhouse can be greatly enhanced ...

Solar Photovoltaic Architecture and Agronomic Management in Agrivoltaic System: A Review

“…However, The STPV's eclipsing frequency was 9.7 percent, and the cell shadow never completely covers the plants while the gap between the module and the crop is greater than 1 m [126]. Next, as illustrated in Figure 2, since the electrical energy generation capacity also varies depending on the light spectrum [55,78,117,129], special attention should be paid to identify suitable types of crops that are able to carry out the photosynthesis process with the limitation of certain PAR wavelengths [28,47,69] to be integrated with SPTV modules in agrivoltaic system [97,126]. In addition, Table 2 summarizes some of the studies that have been conducted worldwide to improve AVS technology.…”

“…In many cases, some alterations to PV architecture are required to balance the amount of solar radiation received by PV panels with the amount of light allowed to reach the crop beneath the solar structure [5,6,28,87]. Most importantly, future research should not overlook the fact that the photosynthesis process is primarily concerned with the Photosynthesis Active Radiation (PAR) range [49,83,128,129], whereas electrical energy is dependent on solar irradiance or light intensity [65,80,96]. Therefore, as a future study for AV system technology, we suggest some areas that are deemed intriguing to be investigated.…”

Assessment of Socio-Economic Sustainability and Resilience after COVID-19

“…However, The STPV's eclipsing frequency was 9.7 percent, and the cell shadow never completely covers the plants while the gap between the module and the crop is greater than 1 m [126]. Next, as illustrated in Figure 2, since the electrical energy generation capacity also varies depending on the light spectrum [55,78,117,129], special attention should be paid to identify suitable types of crops that are able to carry out the photosynthesis process with the limitation of certain PAR wavelengths [28,47,69] to be integrated with SPTV modules in agrivoltaic system [97,126]. In addition, Table 2 summarizes some of the studies that have been conducted worldwide to improve AVS technology.…”

“…In many cases, some alterations to PV architecture are required to balance the amount of solar radiation received by PV panels with the amount of light allowed to reach the crop beneath the solar structure [5,6,28,87]. Most importantly, future research should not overlook the fact that the photosynthesis process is primarily concerned with the Photosynthesis Active Radiation (PAR) range [49,83,128,129], whereas electrical energy is dependent on solar irradiance or light intensity [65,80,96]. Therefore, as a future study for AV system technology, we suggest some areas that are deemed intriguing to be investigated.…”

Elliptic Array Luminescent Solar Concentrators for Combined Power Generation and Microalgae Growth

“…In this research, a certified power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 5.57%, with a projected PCE as high as approximately 18% was reported. A significant amount of research has also been performed to investigate the performance of LSCs for agrivoltaics, algae cultivation, basil growth and greenhouse applications [11,[31][32][33][34][35][36]. For example, Detweiler et al [11] fabricated a wavelength selective LSC panel that harnesses the green light portion of the solar irradiance, most of which is not used for algae growth.…”