In a world where the climate is increasingly hot and volatile, farmers are having trouble keeping their crops cool. A startup founded in the desert of Saudi Arabia thinks it might have a solution.
Its technology reduces temperatures inside greenhouses by up to 7 degrees Celsius, without losing any light, by using nanotechnology embedded within plastic polymer sheeting to cut out near infrared solar radiation. By reducing heat inside greenhouses, the company claims crops can be grown with as much as 30% less water, and less energy required in a greenhouse with mechanical cooling.
Called SecondSky, it was developed by Derya Baran, an associate professor in material science and engineering at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates were among the earliest countries to adopt the technology, Iyris executive chairperson John Keppler told CNN – hot, dry, resource-scarce countries looking to curb their reliance on imports for fresh produce.
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