Italian researchers have made a breakthrough in the field of agrivoltaics, finding that semi-transparent perovskite solar PV roofs can boost radicchio seedling growth and meet the energy demands of greenhouses. The study, published in Nature Communications, used a lab-scale greenhouse with a perovskite solar PV roof to compare its effects on radicchio seedlings with a bare glass reference. The results showed that the perovskite roof led to faster growth and larger leaves, despite reduced light exposure. The team also simulated the energy balance of a large-scale perovskite solar PV installation and found it could meet the energy demands of a typical greenhouse in Italy. The study’s findings highlight the potential of perovskite technology for agrivoltaic applications, with the potential to reduce energy consumption and boost crop yields. Further research is underway to scale up the technology to real-world conditions.
Agrivoltaics: A Future-Proofing Approach for Radicchio
