“Smart Greenhouse”: Integrated Photovoltaics / Photosynthesis for Energy and Food

This project aims to help address food and energy demand in California and benefit California ratepayers by integrating photovoltaics into the food production system through greenhouses. The major goals of the project were to enhance the power conversion efficiency and transparency of organic solar cells and replace a greenhouse roof with semitransparent organic solar cells. To achieve these goals, the project pursued multiple strategies, including designing new materials for active layers of the solar cells, developing electrode and interfacial layers, and improving stability of the solar cells. During the project, the power conversion efficiency of the semitransparent organic solar cells achieved over 13.5 percent and the average visible transmittance achieved over 22 percent. The project team also successfully integrated semitransparent organic solar panels into a model power-generating greenhouse