The global population continues to increase and the impacts of climate change become more severe with every year that passes. The need for sustainable solutions for energy production and agriculture are now more urgent than ever. With energy demands projected to increase by 4% in both 2024 and 2025, solar energy is emerging as a key tool to meet this need.
According to Ember, global solar capacity will increase by 29% in 2024 compared to 2023. In fact, solar investment has now outpaced all other power generation technologies combined. Agrivoltaics offers a unique way to address both energy and agricultural challenges. It allows for the optimization of land use for both solar power and food production.
What is Agrivoltaics?
Agrivoltaics involves installing solar panels above crops or grazing areas for livestock. Unlike traditional solar farms that occupy large areas solely for energy production, agrivoltaic systems are designed to allow agricultural activities to continue beneath the panels.
The solar panels are typically mounted on elevated structures or designed with adjustable angles. This optimize sunlight exposure for both the panels and the crops below.
There are several ways to integrate solar panels into agricultural land, depending on the specific needs of the farm and the crops being grown.
Elevated Structured
Solar panels are installed on raised platforms, allowing farm machinery, equipment, and livestock to move freely underneath without disrupting energy production. This method ensures that farming operations can continue as usual.
Dynamic Systems
These systems use solar trackers to adjust the angle of the solar panels throughout the day. By dynamically changing the panel orientation, these systems maximize solar energy capture while also regulating the amount of sunlight that reaches the crops.
Semi-Transparent Panels
Some solar panels are made from materials that allow a portion of sunlight to pass through. This is particularly beneficial for crops that grow well under diffused light, as the panels provide shade while still allowing enough sunlight to reach the plants. Semi-transparent panels offer an innovative solution for balancing energy production with crop growth.
Benefits of Solar Panels Alongside Crops and Livestock
The complimentary relationship between solar panels and agriculture offers many advantages. Agrivoltaics enables land to serve dual purposes, reducing the competition between food production and energy generation.
Research by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems in Germany indicates that combining solar panels with crops like wheat and potatoes can increase land productivity by up to 60%. Farmers also benefit financially by leasing land for solar installations or utilizing the generated electricity for their operations, creating additional revenue streams.
Solar panels directly benefit crop production by providing shade. This reduces heat stress on plants, leading to improved crop yields in certain climates, and decreases soil evaporation, helping to retain moisture and reduce irrigation needs. These improved conditions created under the shade of the solar panels can support habitats for various species, promoting biodiversity on farmland.
Additionally, the microclimate created by the solar panels can improve crop resilience to climate variability, which can contribute to greater food security.
Agrivoltaics also benefits livestock. Interestingly, livestock kept in fields with solar panels are shown to live happier lives. When installed in pastures, solar panels provide shade and shelter for livestock, reducing heat stress and demand for water.
For grazing animals like sheep and goats, alongside these benefits, forage quality is improved plus they help to maintain vegetation around the panels, reducing maintenance costs.
Challenges of Agrivoltaics
While agrivoltaics offers many benefits, it is not without challenges. The installation of solar panels and the necessary infrastructure can be expensive, and while long-term returns are promising, the initial investment may be a barrier for small-scale farmers. Plus, the integration of equipment and agricultural activities can complicate maintenance routines for both the solar installations and farming operations.
Designing systems that balance the needs of crops with optimal solar energy capture requires careful planning and expertise. Not all crops or livestock species are suitable for agrivoltaics. Careful planning is required to select compatible crops, determine appropriate panel height and spacing, and ensure that livestock do not damage the panels or supporting structures. Alongside this, navigating land-use regulations and securing permits can be complex to ensure it complies with agricultural or energy policies.
Current Implementations
Agrivoltaics is a relatively new technology and still in its early stages, which means it hasn’t yet been widely adopted. However, countries around the world are already exploring its potential through various pilot projects and experiments.
- In Japan, agrivoltaics supports small-scale farmers by providing a steady income from solar energy while allowing them to continue cultivating their crops.
- Pear orchards in Belgium are protected from hail damage by solar panels.
- In the United States, experimental agrivoltaics systems have shown that some plants thrive under the conditions created by solar panels, exhibiting improved water-use efficiency and better growth during hot summer months.
- Sheep work so well with solar panels that some American farmers are even turning to them as a livestock option in regions they haven’t traditionally been farmed.
- Beekeeping alongside solar panels is being explored in countries like Spain, France, the US, Canada, and the UK. Wildflowers are grown beneath the solar panels with beehives positioned nearby
The Role of New Solar Technologies in Agrivoltaics
Emerging solar technologies like perovskite solar cells and tandem solar cells are poised to significantly influence the agrivoltaics landscape. These advanced technologies offer the potential to enhance energy efficiency, reduce costs, and provide greater flexibility in integrating solar power with agriculture.
Perovskite Solar Cell
Perovskites have a unique crystal structure favourable for photovoltaic applications. These materials are known for their high light absorption coefficients and the ability to harvest sunlight efficiently across a broad spectrum. Perovskite solar cells have demonstrated rapid improvements in efficiency, rivalling traditional silicon-based cells in laboratory settings.
One of the key advantages of perovskite solar cells is their potential for semi-transparency and flexibility. They can be manufactured using solution-based processes, such as printing techniques, which can reduce production costs and enable the creation of lightweight, flexible panels.
This flexibility allows for innovative installation methods in agrivoltaics, such as integrating panels directly into greenhouse roofs or creating adjustable shading systems over crops.
Going a step further, panels can be designed to absorb portions of the solar spectrum less useful for photosynthesis while allowing the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) to reach the crops below. This selective light transmission can enhance crop growth and yield while simultaneously generating electricity.
Despite these advantages, perovskite solar cells face challenges related to long-term stability and scalability. Perovskite materials can be sensitive to environmental factors such as moisture and heat, which can degrade performance over time. To overcome this during fabrication, they are often made in inert environments, such as a glove box.
Ongoing research focuses on improving the durability of perovskite cells and developing encapsulation methods to protect them from the elements, making them more suitable for widespread use in agrivoltaics.
Tandem Solar Cells
Tandem solar cells are innovative. They combine multiple photovoltaic materials in layers. This design captures a broader spectrum of sunlight. Each layer absorbs different wavelengths. The result? Higher efficiencies.
Consider perovskite-silicon tandems. Lab tests show efficiencies over 29%, better than either material alone. Impressive, right?
Agrivoltaics benefit from tandem cells. They offer more energy per area. This means fewer panels needed and less land coverage required. so crops get more light.
But there’s a catch. Tandem cells are complex. They cost more to make. Precise layering is crucial and material compatibility is key.
Ongoing Research
Scientists are hard at work developing cost-effective production methods. New material combinations are being explored. The goal? Better performance at lower costs.
Conclusion
Agrivoltaics could transform the future of farming and energy production. It uses land for both food and power, boosting renewable energy adoption. It also enhances food security.
Pilot projects are showing promise. Soon, we might see a new landscape with fields of solar panels and crops, side by side. It’s a vision of sustainable farming that is not only good for agriculture but also for our planet.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between silicon, perovskite, and tandem solar panels?
Silicon solar panels are durable, have good efficiency, and are the most common type. Perovskite solar panels use materials that offer higher efficiency and lower production cost but lack long-term stability. Tandem solar panels combine layers of different materials, like silicon and perovskite, to capture more of the solar spectrum.
How does agrivoltaics impact soil health and biodiversity on farms?
Agrivoltaics can positively affect soil health. The shade created by solar panels can reduce erosion and moisture loss, leading to improved soil structure and nutrient retention. Additionally, solar panel structures can create habitats for various species, enhancing on-farm biodiversity.
How can agrivoltaics contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions beyond renewable energy production?
By enhancing crop yields and reducing the need for agricultural inputs like water and fertilizers, agrivoltaics can lower the carbon footprint of farming operations. Localized energy production also reduces reliance on fossil fuels because farmer can use solar energy to power their farming operations.
References
Ember: Solar power continues to surge in 2024
ScienceDirect: Agrivoltaics, a promising new tool for electricity and food production: A systematic review
Fraunhofer ISE: Harvesting the Sun for Power and Produce – Agrophotovoltaics Increases the Land Use Efficiency by over 60 Percent
Greenpeace UK: Farming and solar panels can work together – here’s the proof
