Light Splitting Film For Greenhouses

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The University of Colorado at Boulder to develop a cost effective greenhouse cover that splits sunlight into photosynthetically efficient light and also repurposes inefficient infrared light for water purification.  Under normal conditions, plants only use about 50 percent of incoming sunlight for photosynthesis. The new CU Boulder technology takes the form of a semi-translucent film that splits incoming light and converts the rays from less desired green wavelengths into more desirable red wavelengths, thus increasing the amount of photosynthetically efficient light for the plant with no additional electricity consummation.  The thin engineered material can be applied directly to the surface of the greenhouse.   The near-infrared wavelengths  can help clean brackish wastewater, allowing it to be recirculated in an advanced humidification-dehumidification interface and further reducing the greenhouse's energy footprint.