Red Onions Could Power a Greener Future

Move over, petroleum—your shiny, greasy days may be numbered. In a world that’s rapidly craving sustainability and smart innovation, a team of researchers just found a surprising new hero for clean energy tech: red onions. Yes, the same ones that make you cry might help solar panels last longer, work better, and stay greener.

A recent study showed red onion extract to be surprisingly resistant to ultraviolet light. That discovery caught the attention of scientists at the University of Turku in Finland, who, along with collaborators from Aalto University and Wageningen University, wanted to know: Could this natural UV shield be the key to creating better solar tech?

Here’s why it matters: Solar panels degrade over time—especially when they’re baking under the sun all day. Traditional protective coatings help, but they’re often made from petroleum-based materials, which are neither sustainable nor ideal for long-term environmental health.

The Finnish research team took a fresh approach, working with nanocellulose film—a biodegradable, ultra-thin material made from plant-based molecules. They infused it with red onion skin extract to see if it could do the same job as petroleum-derived films... and maybe even do it better.

Spoiler: It did.

The red onion-enhanced film blocked a whopping 99.9% of UV rays while maintaining over 80% transparency. It even held up after 1,000 hours of artificial sunlight, which simulates a full year of outdoor exposure in central Europe. Among the different natural additives tested—including lignin and iron ions—the red onion extract consistently came out on top.

This breakthrough might just change how we protect solar panels—and potentially all sorts of photovoltaic tech—moving us closer to a future where clean energy is built with clean materials.

So next time you’re dicing up onions for dinner, just remember: beneath those purple layers lies a little secret with big solar power potential.

Click here to read more about the study