Reduce Costs While Becoming Energy Independent
Innovative Sunlight vs. Shade Crop Management
Discover Total Sun Optimization’s groundbreaking technology, seamlessly integrating sunlight power generation with an automated crop sun vs. shade management system. Engineered to maximize harvest yields and elevate farmers’ revenue, our solution offers unparalleled efficiency and sustainability.
TSO Green System Benefits
- Gain Competitive Advantage: Stay ahead of the competition with our cutting-edge solar crop management system.
- Enjoy Higher Margin Farming: Experience higher yields and profitability with our innovative solar crop management technology.
- Fully Automate & Optimize Sunlight Control: Take the deliberation out of crop management with our automated sunlight optimization technology.
- Maximize Land Use Efficiency: Double production per acre, whether in greenhouses or open fields, with our integrated solar solution.
- Secure Energy Independence: Achieve off-grid capabilities, ensuring reliability and stability in energy supply.
- Create Excess Energy for Other Uses: Harness surplus solar energy for additional on-site facilities, enhancing operational efficiency.
- Reduce Labor Costs with Automated Shading: Streamline operations and minimize labor costs with our automated shading system.
- Be More Sustainable & Environment-Friendly: Embrace sustainability and reduce environmental impact with our eco-friendly solution.
Shading Blade Specs
2.5-3mm
2500mm
16
Single Axis
High Efficiency Bifacial
Rigid, Clear
10 YR Craftsmanship + 25 YR performance
Unlock the Power of Precise Sunlight vs. Shade Control
The TSO Shading Blade
TSO’s Shading Blade represents the forefront of solar technology, meticulously engineered to deliver unmatched efficiency and reliability. Designed with cutting-edge features and proprietary technology, the Shading Blade transforms solar power generation and sunlight management in both commercial greenhouses and open-field agrivoltaic systems.
Key Benefits: Greenhouses
- Deployed underneath the upper greenhouse roof
- Provides incomparable electrical production
- Controls precise amount of sunlight, minimizes shade
- Optimize any crop’s harvest yield and maximize power generation
Key Benefits: Open-Field Agrivoltaics
- Flexible installation across open fields, preserving natural habitats and soil health
- Delivers the ideal daily light integral (DLI) to crops, boosting growth and overall productivity
- Improves the work environment for agricultural workers
- Creates additional revenue streams from solar energy
Key Features
Lightweight & Thin Design
With a thickness of just 2.5-3mm, the Shading Blade boasts a lightweight and thin profile, maximizing surface area for solar cell integration while minimizing conditional shade, weight, and bulkiness.
Bifacial Efficiency
The Shading Blade’s bifacial design enables collection of reflected sunlight and grow/internal lighting. This innovative feature maximizes effective solar cell surface area, resulting in optimal energy production.
Rigid and Durable Construction
Engineered for durability, the Shading Blade features a rigid design with minimal deflection across 2.5m spans. Sealed on all edges to protect the laminate, it ensures long-term performance in harsh environmental conditions.
Proprietary Diode Placement
Featuring 16 bypass diodes strategically positioned to minimize labor costs for manufacturing, the Shading Blade can be efficiently deployed in high-density variable shading conditions, previously deemed infeasible due to labor and cost constraints. This also significantly reduces the performance degradation, preserving higher power outputs over the Solar Blade’s lifetime.
Mounting Capability for Shade Tracking
Designed with mounting capability for shade band tracking, the Shading Blade enables dynamic adjustment to the amount of sunlight that reaches the crops, while generating the most electricity out of the captured sunlight.
Warranty and Performance
Backed by a 10-year craftsmanship warranty and a 25-year performance guarantee, the Shading Blade offers peace of mind and reliability for years to come.
Boost Efficiency in Greenhouse and Field Farming
Appearance, Design, and Performance of TSO’s Shade Management System
TSO Green’s Shade Management System is an advanced, lightweight, and highly efficient solution designed to optimize solar energy production and shade tolerance in greenhouse environments. With a thickness of just 2.5–3 mm and weighing under 3 lbs/sqft dead load, the system is designed to fit seamlessly into various greenhouse types, offering maximum deployment flexibility.
The Shade Management System features 16 bypass diodes strategically placed using proprietary technology— a design that minimizes labor costs for manufacturing, something previously unattainable due to labor-intensive processes. This design allows the solar blades to be deployed even in high-density variable shading conditions. The system’s design is specifically optimized for maximum shade tolerance and maximized solar cell coverage, ensuring efficiency across diverse environments.
The system is bifacial and boasts high-efficiency solar cells with up to 32% efficiency, minimizing area waste and maximizing surface area for energy production. The anodized aluminum 6061 alloy frame is lightweight, durable, and designed for longevity, allowing in maximum sunlight while providing strong structural support. Its rigid frame is engineered to maintain a ¼” deflection across 2.5-meter spans, offering stability even in challenging conditions. Additionally, the frame’s thin profile is optimized for both strength and efficiency, supporting potential spans up to 12 meters in greenhouse installations.
The mounting system is designed for compatibility with Single-Axis Tracking, and the water-resistant drive system enables precise 0 to 360-degree rotation of the solar blades. This precise articulation, adjusted to specific angles relative to the sun, optimizes lighting conditions within the greenhouse, enhancing the growth environment for plants while ensuring bifacial energy production from the system.
Validated Through Rigorous Scientific Analysis
TSO Green RESA Test Results: Efficiency and Angle Analysis
RESA Power conducted an independent electrical load study for TSO Green to assess the power output and efficiency of bifacial photovoltaic panels installed in a commercial greenhouse. The study aimed to evaluate how panel angles influence energy production while balancing the greenhouse’s crop shading needs.
Two sets of TSO’s bifacial panels were tested, with their angles adjusted from 0° to 345° to determine efficiency variations. Power output depended on both panel angle and sunlight exposure, with the highest efficiencies (16% to 32%) observed when the panels were angled to follow the sun’s movement. Notably, higher efficiencies were recorded at certain negative angles relative to the ground.
The panels were mounted at trellis height, and external data sources—including Caltech’s JPL Horizons System and Meteomatics AG’s Weather API—were used to calculate solar azimuth, elevation, and irradiance.
Peak power output reached 342W, with overall output ranging from 139W to 342W, depending on the angle. Compared to standard monofacial solar panels (250W–400W with 15%–22% efficiency) and high-end bifacial panels (25%–30% efficiency), the tested panels performed within or above the expected range. Their bifacial design, which utilizes reflected light, further enhances power production compared to traditional monofacial panels.
Unlike fixed-tilt solar panels, which cannot dynamically adjust their angles, these bifacial panels can optimize their positioning for maximum efficiency while also supporting crop shading. This tracking capability makes them particularly well-suited for agricultural applications, where balancing energy generation and plant growth is critical.
Take the Next Step to Elevate the Future of Farming