Overview
- The peer-reviewed study, published Oct. 2, 2026, tested three 20 m² plots and found broccoli grown under magenta panels had similar harvest weights but took about 25 days longer to mature.
- Panels with roughly 50% and 70% transparency boosted broccoli light-use efficiency by about 4.5× and 2.8× respectively, meaning plants made more biomass from the light they received.
- The magenta glass passes red and blue wavelengths that plants use for photosynthesis while electricity is produced by opaque cadmium telluride strips in the panels, and some blocked green light in the current design is not captured by the cells.
- Electricity yield in the trial averaged about 224.7 MWh per hectare over the growing period, roughly 100 MWh per hectare less than comparable conventional panels, creating an explicit crop-versus-energy value trade-off.
- Researchers warn the results stem from a single-season, small-scale test and say broader multi-season, multi-crop and economic studies are needed before wider deployment, with nearer-term uses likely in community gardens or greenhouse roofs and potential farm benefits including on-site power for irrigation or cooling.