From Greenhouse to Redhouse

Overview

By 2055, the United Nations projects a 2.5 billion increase in the global human population and a climate change-induced 10-50% decrease in the global crop yield of conventional farming practices. Fortunately, greenhouses are able to elongate production seasons while creating optimal crop growth conditions, but they are highly energy-inefficient. Here, I designed a novel efficient greenhouse film material containing a fluorescent dye that converts green light (reflected by plants) into red light (absorbed by plants to drive photosynthesis). However, internal reflection causes much of this fluoresced red light to be trapped within the film. Therefore, I incorporated microdome-shaped surface light extraction structures, inspired by OLEDs, to extract fluoresced light and increase red photon flux through the film. Spectroscopic tests revealed a statistically significant (~200 μmol/m2/s) greater red photon flux with the spectral-converting film as compared to a regular greenhouse film (t=65.28, α=0.01, t-crit=4.60). Growth tests showed that the spectral-converting film consistently increased oxygen production by ~40%, and thus increases photosynthetic rate of the model photosynthetic algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The combination of fluorescence green-to-red conversion and extraction of red light increased photosynthetically efficient light available to plants and thus crop yield, enhancing greenhouse efficiency in order to feed a growing population.

Competition history

• AJAS 2020 Category not listed

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