Greenhouses retain heat to promote plant growth, but what if we could create tinted greenhouse panels out of solar panels to both capture the sun’s energy and shield and nurture plants? The emerging field of agrivoltaics aims to do just that and could be the future of farming. 

It works by using tinted panels that absorb mostly blue and green light while allowing red light to shine through to the plants. In this way, the panels can simultaneously absorb energy and still allow the plants to thrive. 

To test the technology, a team of researchers grew basil and spinach in a clear glass greenhouse and under the tinted panels and compared the results. The plants under tinted panels did see a 15 and 26 percent reduction in the amount of leaves on basil and spinach respectively, but the resulting financial gain of up to 2.5 percent for basil and an impressive 35 percent for spinach. Reduced water evaporation could still make the new technology more productive than traditional methods.

We’ve written about agrivoltaics before, which have the potential to source renewable energy while providing an optimal growing environment for crops and cultivating livestock. All in all, agrivoltaics could unlock a whole host of new opportunities in agriculture.