Energy Generating Self-cooling Greenhouse

열-전기 병합 에너지 생산 겸 자체 냉각 온실

An energy generating greenhouse based on fluoropolymer envelope and fresnel lens is proposed. The outstanding properties of the fluoropolymer films make them very suitable for large scale solar applications. Extremely high optical transmission over the whole solar spectrum, combined with mechanical strength, and durability allows us to design a highly optimized greenhouses for both plant growing and energy generation. Systems such as photovoltaic triple junction cells are especially attractive since they have up to 35% efficiency with much less cell material when the sun beam is focused with concentrators such as fresnel lenses. Cooling such devices will enhance the efficiency and provide useful thermal energy that could be further utilized for various applications depending on the local demands. This article introduces the basic ideas and principles of the energy generating greenhouses as a first step towards the actual deployment of such systems under Korean environment.