Solar-splitting concept could help sustain humanity

(Credit: Purdue University)

Described in the journal Scientific Reports, the concept involves splitting solar rays into the three segments best suited to the production of food, energy and water (FEW), all in one location. Current photovoltaics generally prevent the land they inhabit being used for agriculture. The proposed system would use parabolic troughs that transmit the photons necessary for plant growth, while reflecting the other parts of the spectrum to specially designed solar cells that would generate electricity and power water purification.

“This increase in population, coupled with rising per capita income and associated change in consumption habits, will put unprecedented stress on food, energy and water resources,” said Rakesh Agrawal, a professor at Purdue’s School of Chemical Engineering. “The grand challenge before us is to sustainably meet the needs of a full earth using scarcer resources, and the sun is the key energy source to achieve this goal.”