Soon, farmers across the nation will begin to see not only the lucrative energy-saving benefits of thin-film agrivoltaics, but also the crop health benefits of it as well. Paul Warley is CEO of Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc., maker of flexible thin-film solar panels.
And now, thin-film solar modules are ready to take on their next challenge: agrivoltaics. As the impacts of climate change worsen each year, domestic farmers have begun to struggle to keep their crops healthy, as the sun beats down on them with punishingly-high temperatures.
Thin-film agrivoltaics overcome the challenges of their rigid, heavy counterparts by consisting of a series of solar crossbars covered in solar that are elevated high above the protected crops, which allows for:
The use of thin-film solar cells also allows for greater energy savings, a healthier crop yield, and increased water savings. Perhaps best of all, is the ability for thin-film modules to continue functioning after being struck, impaled or damaged.
In recent years, Liu et al. reported that the Chinese government has supported many projects for the applications of the thin film PV solar greenhouses at different provinces in China such as Hebei project in an area of 6667 hm 2 for generating electric power of 120 MW Fig. 7. Fig. 7.
Thin-film semi-transparent modules are promising for use as roofs of greenhouses. Dye-sensitizes cells are flexible, lightweight, and can work under diffuse sunlight. Wavelength selective transparency allows photosynthetic active radiation to pass. In concentrating photovoltaic, diffuse light is available for the growth of plants.