The potential of agrivoltaic systems

Abstract

In order to meet global energy demands with clean renewable energy such as with solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, large surface areas are needed because of the relatively diffuse nature of solar energy. Much of this demand can be matched with aggressive building integrated PV and rooftop PV, but the remainder can be met with land-based PV farms. Using large tracts of land for solar farms will increase competition for land resources as food production demand and energy demand are both growing and vie for the limited land resources. This land competition is exacerbated by the increasing population. These coupled land challenges can be ameliorated using the concept of agrivoltaics or co-developing the same area of land for both solar PV power as well as for conventional agriculture. In this paper, the agrivoltaic experiments to date are reviewed and summarized. A coupled simulation model is developed for both PV production (PVSyst) and agricultural production (Simulateur mulTIdisciplinaire les Cultures Standard (STICS) crop model), to gauge the technical potential of scaling agrivoltaic systems. The results showed that the value of solar generated electricity coupled to shade-tolerant crop production created an over 30% increase in economic value from farms deploying agrivoltaic systems instead of conventional agriculture. Utilizing shade tolerant crops enables crop yield losses to be minimized and thus maintain crop price stability. In addition, this dual use of agricultural land can have a significant effect on national PV production. The results showed an increase in PV power between over 40 and 70GW if lettuce cultivation alone is converted to agrivoltaic systems in the U.S. It is clear, further work is warranted in this area and that the outputs for different crops and geographic areas should be explored to ascertain the potential of agrivoltaic farming throughout the globe.

Wavelength‐Selective Solar Photovoltaic Systems: Powering Greenhouses for Plant Growth at the Food‐Energy‐Water Nexus

“…Adoption of solar has occurred at various scales, from powering pumps on fields, to co-cropping or managing animals under solar panels (Baum et al, 2009). The mixed-use approach has been called "agrivoltaics," or "solar farming" (Dinesh & Pearce, 2016;Santra et al, 2017;Xue, 2017). Despite the growth of conventional silicon-based photovoltaics (Si-PV) on farmlands, many opportunities exist to develop new wedges to decarbonize the food system.…”

Impacts and opportunities from large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation on agricultural production

“…Other researchers have recently shown the potential in the United States of including solar PV in lettuce production systems (Dinesh & Pearce, ). Their modeling, though not directly relevant to the majority of agricultural systems in Australia, has estimated a potential increase of 40–70 GW capacity in the United States alone through co‐benefits.…”

Promising Potentials of Agrivoltaic Systems for the Development of Malaysia Green Economy

“…The AV system considers appropriate plant characteristics based on crop height, sustainability, water requirements and shading tolerance. This new way of growing crops beneath solar panel is an experiment in integrating renewable energy with agriculture and is a part of bringing a new dimension to community agriculture [7]. Some of the published results relating to AV projects are listed in Table 1.…”

“…Dupraz et al, [6] France The AV system is able to provide more efficient use of light and space for the dual production of energy and food. Dinesh & Pearce, [7] USA AV system can improve the technical potential for both PV production and agricultural production by propose a coupled simulation model. Malu, Sharma, & Pearce, [8] India…”