SBIR-STTR Award

Greenhouses must meet the conflicting requirements of both admitting substantial amounts of sunlight to the entire growing area of providing very substantial insulation to reduce heat loss in winter and minimize ventilation and cooling costs. Broad bandwidth holograms that are designed to redirect the portions of the solar spectrum required for plant growth can be an ideal solution for admitting and distributing light. The specific applications range from daylight control in conventional greenhouses to innovative greenhouse designs that utilize the ability of holograms to direct light from a building aperture to the interior. Both the diurnal and annual variations can be accommodated so that the desired area is illuminated by a passive holographic system.

Greenhouses must meet the conflicting requirements of both admitting substantial amounts of sunlight to the entire growing area of providing very substantial insulation to reduce heat loss in winter and minimize ventilation and cooling costs. Broad bandwidth holograms that are designed to redirect the portions of the solar spectrum required for plant growth can be an ideal solution for admitting and distributing light. The specific applications range from daylight control in conventional greenhouses to innovative greenhouse designs that utilize the ability of holograms to direct light from a building aperture to the interior. Both the diurnal and annual variations can be accommodated so that the desired area is illuminated by a passive holographic system.