Team:Cambridge/Tools/Lighting

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(Modelling)
(Modelling)
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To show that it may one day indeed be possible to have bioluminescent trees replacing street lamps we considered how efficicient the plants would have to be in order to match a low-intensity street lamp.
To show that it may one day indeed be possible to have bioluminescent trees replacing street lamps we considered how efficicient the plants would have to be in order to match a low-intensity street lamp.
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Figure 1 shows the radiation spectrum recieved from the sun at sea level. In total this gives about 1,321 – 1,413 W/m<sup>2</sup> of radiant energy for regions in North America. (Data supplied by[http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/www/IMOP/publications/CIMO-Guide/CIMO%20Guide%207th%20Edition,%202008/Part%20I/Chapter%208.pdf. American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Terrestrial Reference Spectra], a common standard used in photovoltaics). This is a lot of energy, but of course most of it is not accessible to plants. They can only absorb in the visible region (corresponding to roughy 45% of total solar energy), radiation known as PAR (photosynthetically active radiation). In addition, there are other constraints, such as reflectivity of leaves and the absorption spectrum of chlorophyll. The net result is that in general plants are only able to take between 3 and 6% of total solar radiation, corresponding to roughly '''60 W/m<sup>2</sup>''' (Figures from Hall, D.O. and House, J.I., Biomass and Bioenergy, 6,11-30 (1994).)
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Figure 1 shows the radiation spectrum recieved from the sun at sea level. In total this gives about '''1,321 – 1,413 W/m<sup>2</sup>''' of radiant energy for regions in North America. (Data supplied by American Society for Testing and Materials ([http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/www/IMOP/publications/CIMO-Guide/CIMO%20Guide%207th%20Edition,%202008/Part%20I/Chapter%208.pdf. ASTM]) Terrestrial Reference Spectra, a common standard used in photovoltaics). This is a lot of energy, but of course most of it is not accessible to plants. They can only absorb in the visible region (corresponding to roughy 45% of total solar energy), radiation known as PAR (photosynthetically active radiation). In addition, there are other constraints, such as reflectivity of leaves and the absorption spectrum of chlorophyll. The net result is that in general plants are only able to take between '''3''' and '''6%''' of total solar radiation, corresponding to roughly '''60 W/m<sup>2</sup>''' (Figures from Hall, D.O. and House, J.I., Biomass and Bioenergy, 6,11-30 (1994).)

Revision as of 16:47, 26 October 2010