Harvesting Visible Photons

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Track Code: 2016-AGRA-67610 Tags   chemical engineering, clean energy, green technology, photovoltaics Background Solar power has the potential to provide clean, inexpensive energy for all; however, there are some major limitations that must first be addressed. Due to competition for land with agriculture in large parts of the country coupled with the large footprint of solar energy plants, such plants are often in remote locations, leading to numerous logistic problems, ranging from transportation costs to issues, such as water shortages; water is often used as a working fluid. Technology Summary Researchers at Purdue University have devised a way to split the visible light spectrum into two parts using dichroic mirrors. When scaled up, this novel Purdue technology will be used to construct solar beam concentrations that permit visible light to pass through, but reflect infrared wavelengths, which will then be concentrated and efficiently used as an energy source. The visible light that passes through the panel provides sufficient solar energy to crops, allowing them to be planted directly underneath solar arrays. This technology renders many of the issues previously associated with solar energy's irreverence and positions solar energy to be at the forefront of next generation energy technologies. Advantages Maximizes the generation of electricity Allows solar plants to be placed over farmland Can be applied to PV or CSP solar installations Potential Applications Development of remote electrical grids Troughs, which are used to direct light, can be used for rainwater management Solar energy Stage of Development Concept developed