Magenta solar panels may be agrivoltaics' cleverest trick yet

Researchers have developed semi-transparent magenta solar panels that allow red and blue wavelengths needed for photosynthesis to pass through while harvesting other wavelengths for electricity generation. In a new study, broccoli grown under these panels produced comparable yields to traditionally grown crops, despite taking 25 additional days to mature, while also improving growing conditions below the panels. This agrivoltaic approach could allow farmers to generate both crops and renewable energy from the same land, potentially meeting up to 20 percent of U.S. electricity needs if deployed on just one percent of U.S. farmland.