Agrivoltaics

Vertical solar panels, east to west orientation, with bifacial modules near Donaueschingen, Germany.[1]
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Agrivoltaics (agrophotovoltaics, agrisolar, or dual-use solar) is the dual use of land for solar energy production and agriculture.[2][3][4] The technique was first conceived by Adolf Goetzberger and Armin Zastrow in 1981.[5]

Many agricultural activities can be combined with solar, including plant crops, livestock, greenhouses, and wild plants to provide pollinator support.[6] Agrivoltaic systems can include solar panels between crops, elevated above crops, or on greenhouses.

Solar panels help plants to retain moisture and lower temperatures, and can provide shelter for livestock animals. The dual use of land can also provide a diversified income stream for farmers.

Solar panels block light, which means that the design of dual use systems can require trade-offs between optimizing crop yield, crop quality, and energy production.[7] Some crops and livestock benefit from the increased shade, lessening or even eliminating the trade-off.[8]

  1. ^ "Vertical solar panels could save farm land and transform agriculture". 10 February 2023.
  2. ^ Dinesh, Harshavardhan; Pearce, Joshua M. (2016). "The potential of agrivoltaic systems" (PDF). Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 54: 299–308. Bibcode:2016RSERv..54..299D. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2015.10.024. S2CID 109953748.
  3. ^ Faustino Ferreira, Rafael; Marques Lameirinhas, Ricardo A.; P. Correia V. Bernardo, Catarina; N. Torres, João Paulo; Santos, Marcelino (2024). "Agri-PV in Portugal: How to combine agriculture and photovoltaic production". Energy for Sustainable Development. 79. Bibcode:2024ESusD..7901408F. doi:10.1016/j.esd.2024.101408.
  4. ^ Soto-Gómez, Diego (August 2024). "Integration of Crops, Livestock, and Solar Panels: A Review of Agrivoltaic Systems". Agronomy. 14 (8): 1824. doi:10.3390/agronomy14081824. ISSN 2073-4395.
  5. ^ Goetzberger, A.; Zastrow, A. (1 January 1982). "On the Coexistence of Solar-Energy Conversion and Plant Cultivation". International Journal of Solar Energy. 1 (1): 55–69. Bibcode:1982IJSE....1...55G. doi:10.1080/01425918208909875. ISSN 0142-5919.
  6. ^ Casey, Tina (25 March 2024). "The Agrivoltaic Juggernaut: A 21st Century Agricultural Revolution". CleanTechnica. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  7. ^ "A New Vision for Farming: Chickens, Sheep, and ... Solar Panels". EcoWatch. 28 April 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  8. ^ Kamadi, Geoffrey (22 February 2022). "Kenya to use solar panels to boost crops by 'harvesting the sun twice'". The Guardian.