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

0639429 O '康纳，布伦丹温室农业使粮食生产跨越气候地区和季节，但消耗了大量的能源用于加热，冷却和补充照明。该项目的最终目标是使温室能源中性。认识到植物只使用光谱中的窄范围波长进行光合作用和生长，PI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。太阳能一体化温室（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。该项目将包括一系列K-12外展活动，考虑能源和农业的K-12夏令营，以及高中和社区大学教师的研究经验，将食品，能源和水的交叉研究转化为他们的课程活动。PI将通过整合用于能源生产的透明太阳能模块，植物选择和管理，用于粮食生产，以及用于水和养分保护的闭环温室设计。为了实现自给自足的SPRING系统，将开展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）设计并入聚合物半导体以实现高功率转换效率和调谐光学特性的半透明太阳能模块，（iii）加工用于并入生长室模型系统的大面积太阳能模块，（iv）选择和评估采用改良光谱照明的植物;（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SPRING系统的经济和环境影响。在有机太阳能开发中，发现了在合成具有调谐吸收光谱和当集成到太阳能电池中时的高效率的新型有机半导体化合物方面的智力价值。此外，在半透明太阳能电池设计方面将取得进展，以实现调谐传输，并开发可扩展的太阳能模块制造方法。在植物生产中，将沿着对再生水耕系统中水和硝酸盐/磷酸盐利用效率的新认识，开发对蔬菜产品的修改后的光谱和营养特性的适应和响应的遗传基础的新认识。在SPRING系统层面，关键要素是组合系统的设计，以实现最佳植物生长、可再生能源发电以及热负荷平衡评估和设计。将开发新的工具，能够执行系统的多变量优化，用于各种气候，粮食生产计划和温室结构。如果成功，该项目将大大推进受控环境农业，提供显著提高粮食生产力的手段，同时减少水消耗，降低化石燃料消耗，并在降低环境影响的情况下提高粮食和水安全。

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.