INFEWS/T3: Solar-Powered Integrated Greenhouse (SPRING) Systems Using Wavelength Selective Photovoltaics for Complete Solar Utilization

[0639429]温室农业可以实现跨气候区域和季节的粮食生产，但在供暖、制冷和补充照明方面消耗大量能源。该项目的最终目标是使温室实现能源中和。认识到植物只使用光谱中的一小部分波长进行光合作用和生长，PIs将开发半透明的有机太阳能电池板，从植物生长不需要的未充分利用的光谱中收集太阳能；另一个目标是培育在这些条件下表现最佳的作物品种。太阳能综合温室（SPRING）系统可以实现能源自给自足，同时回收水和肥料，用于环境可持续的粮食生产。这个项目将包括一些K-12的外展活动，考虑能源和农业的K-12夏令营，以及为高中和社区大学教师提供的研究经验，这些教师将把食物、能源和水的交叉研究转化为他们的课程活动。它们将把用于能源生产的半透明太阳能模块、用于粮食生产的植物选择和管理、用于水和养分保护的闭环温室设计集成在一起，开发能源中性温室。为了实现自给自足的SPRING系统，将进行以下相互关联的研究任务：(i)合成和表征具有调谐吸收光谱的聚合物半导体，（ii）设计包含聚合物半导体的半透明太阳能模块，以实现高功率转换效率和调谐光学特性，（iii）加工大面积太阳能模块，以纳入生长室模型系统，（iv）选择和评估改良光谱照明下的植物，(v)设计温室结构，包括热平衡，光伏集成，和照明，以及（vi）进行详细的生命周期评估，以估计春季系统的经济和环境影响。在有机太阳能的发展中，合成吸收光谱可调谐且集成到太阳能电池中效率高的新型有机半导体化合物具有智力优势。此外，将在半透明太阳能电池设计方面取得进展，以实现调谐传输，并开发可扩展的太阳能组件制造方法。在植物生产方面，随着对循环水培系统中水和硝酸盐/磷酸盐利用效率的新认识，将对蔬菜产品对改良光谱和营养特性的适应和响应的遗传基础有新的认识。在SPRING系统层面，关键要素是优化植物生长、可再生能源发电和热负荷平衡评估和设计的组合系统设计。新的工具将被开发，能够执行各种气候，粮食生产计划和温室结构的系统的多元优化。如果取得成功，该项目将显著推进受控环境农业，为大幅提高粮食生产率提供手段，同时减少水消耗，降低化石燃料消耗，并在降低环境影响的同时提高粮食和水安全。

0639429O'Connor, Brendan Greenhouse agriculture enables food production across climate regions and seasons but consumes a substantial amount of energy for heating, cooling and supplemental lighting. The ultimate goal of this project is to make greenhouses energy neutral. Recognizing plants only use a narrow range of wavelength from the light spectrum for photosynthesis and growth, the PIs will develop semi-transparent organic solar panels to harvest the solar energy from the under-utilized spectrum that is not required for plant growth; another goal is to breed crop varieties that perform optimally under these conditions. The Solar Powered INtegrated Greenhouse (SPRING) systems can be self-sufficient in energy, while recycling water and fertilizer for environmentally sustainable food production. This project will include a number of K-12 outreach activities, K-12 summer camps that consider both energy and agriculture, and research experiences for high school and community college teachers that will translate research at the intersection of food, energy, and water to their curricular activities.The PIs will develop energy-neutral greenhouses by integrating semitransparent solar power modules for energy production, plant selection and management for food production, and closed-loop greenhouse design for water and nutrient conservation. To achieve the self-sufficient SPRING system, the following interrelated research tasks will be undertaken: (i) synthesize and characterize polymer semiconductors with tuned absorption spectra, (ii) design semitransparent solar modules that incorporate the polymer semiconductors to achieve high power conversion efficiency and tuned optical characteristics, (iii) process large area solar modules for incorporation in growth chamber model systems, (iv) select and evaluate plants under modified spectrum lighting, (v) design the greenhouse structure including thermal balance, photovoltaic integration, and lighting, and (vi) conduct detailed life cycle assessment to estimate the economic and environmental impacts of the SPRING system. In organic solar power development, intellectual merit is found in synthesis of novel organic semiconductor compounds with tuned absorption spectra and high efficiency when integrated into a solar cell. Additionally, advances will be made in semi-transparent solar cell design to achieve tuned transmission and in the development of scalable solar module manufacturing methods. In plant production, new insights into the genetic basis for adaptation and responses to modified light spectra and nutritional characteristics of vegetable produce will be developed along with new insight into water and nitrate/phosphate use efficiencies in recycled hydroponic systems. At the SPRING system level, key elements are design of the combined system for optimal plant growth, renewable power generation, and thermal load balance assessment and design. New tools will be developed that are able to perform the multivariate optimization of the systems for various climates, food production schemes, and greenhouse structures. If successful, this project will significantly advance controlled environment agriculture, providing the means to significantly increase food productivity, while reducing water consumption, lowering fossil fuel consumption, and providing increased food and water security with lower environmental impact.