Commercial Scale Luminescent Solar Collector Photovoltaic Panel for Agriculture

Luminescent solar collectors (LSC) were first proposed in 1976 as a “Luminescent Greenhouse Collector”. However, large scale commercial implementation of LSCs did not materialized until recently. Soliculture introduced the first commercial scale LSC in 2015 designed specifically for greenhouse crop production. Over 50,000 sq.ft. of LSC greenhouses have been installed in the US and Canada and are producing crops commercially. The LSC design uses an organic luminescent material that matches photosynthesis efficiency to improve plant growth. This talk will review the design and manufacturing challenges associated with bringing an LSC to large scale commercial production.