Israeli researchers have tested organic PV modules to power polytunnel greenhouses and have found that they might offer advantages over conventional crystalline silicon, despite their lower efficiency rates. They have lower operating temperatures but are subject to degradation, due to the mechanical stress caused by the wind-induced movement of tunnel sheeting.
Polytunnel greenhouses are typically covered with polyethylene. They are used to grow large amounts of fruits and vegetables that require more heat during the winter months. They are harder to shade than those covered with glass.
“OPV properties are more suitable than conventional silicon for polytunnel greenhouse applications,” researcher Esther Magadaley told pv magazine. “They are lightweight, flexible and the polyethylene encapsulation material of the OPVs is similar to the polyethylene cover material of a greenhouse.”
Magadaley said OPV solutions can be semitransparent, come in different colors with different spectral transmittance properties, and transmit as much of the light spectrum needed for plant growth, while using the other parts of the light spectrum for electricity production. “This way, we can produce electricity without affecting crop growth,” she explained.
Read the complete article at www.pv-magazine.com.
Esther Magadley, Meir Teitel, Ragheb Kabha, Mohamad Dakka, Maayan Friman Peretz, Shay Ozer, Asher Levi, Hagai Yasuor, Murat Kacira, Rebekah Waller & Ibrahim Yehia (2021) Integrating organic photovoltaics (OPVs) into greenhouses: electrical performance and lifetimes of OPVs, International Journal of Sustainable Energy, DOI: 10.1080/14786451.2021.2017437
