Jack’s Solar Farm – Photo by Werner Slocum: NREL. Retrieved January 20, 2023, from https://www.agritecture.com/blog/2022/2/3/largest-farm-to-grow-crops-under-solar-panels-proves-to-be-a-bumper-crop-for-agrivoltaic-land-use

Agrovoltaics is a practice in which agriculture and solar panels are combined, i.e., solar panels are placed on crop fields. This generates a kind of synergy between both elements. The crops are protected by the solar panels, preventing them from being damaged by hailstorms, heavy rains, and intense heat waves. The solar panels also prevent water from evaporating quickly from the ground, which benefits the crops. And how do the solar panels benefit the crops? Quite simply, the evaporation of water from the crops helps keep the solar panels' plates cool, which increases their efficiency.

In addition to the benefits mentioned above, there are others, among them the incredible use of the land since we can have crops and obtain solar energy on the same land. There are even people who use the same land for their crops, their solar panels, and their animals. Farm animals such as cows and sheep also benefit from the shade and protection provided by solar panels.

"As several studies show, agrovoltaic technology can increase land productivity. It therefore offers great potential as a co-productive and resource-efficient renewable energy system in regions with dense populations or limited land areas, such as mountainous regions and islands. However, its greatest potential is anticipated in semi-arid and arid regions, where several synergistic side effects can be expected." (Beatriz Muñoz Vidal, 2021).

Agrovoltaics is an excellent way to obtain clean, renewable energy and high-quality crops at the same time. It can also help us adapt to the extreme temperatures generated by climate change that are destroying hectares of crops around the world.

Disadvantage of agrovoltaics 

"The main disadvantage of this technology is that agrovoltaic projects are still considerably more expensive than conventional ground-mounted PV plants. The higher costs may be due to design constraints; but the use of special components such as modules (which must allow light to pass through), mounting systems, and trackers can also significantly increase the cost of the project, especially if, for example, the modules must be elevated so that agricultural machinery can operate underneath." (Beatriz Muñoz Vidal, 2021).

The most significant problem presented by agrovoltaics is its high initial investment cost, which is very difficult to afford for many farmers, especially those living in rural areas, where large-scale agrovoltaic projects are needed because these areas are the most vulnerable and affected by the devastating effects of climate change, including droughts that have intensified in recent months.

Agrovoltaics and climate change

"Agrovoltaics brings a number of advantages to consider, such as allowing the interaction of the agricultural sector activity with the combination of photovoltaic panels and thus maintaining a great mitigation against climate change while generating a source of income for the countryside." (Beatriz Muñoz Vidal, 2021).

The practice of agrovoltaics is not only a great strategy to adapt to climate change but also to mitigate it, since obtaining clean energy from a renewable source (the sun) prevents the emission of high concentrations of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. In addition, according to a study developed at the Eagle Point solar plant in southwestern Oregon, the United States, the land used for the solar panels is an excellent habitat for pollinators, as flower growth increases in the areas semi-shaded by the panels thanks to the cool and humid microclimate that is created. With the restoration of pollinator habitat, more plants and trees, which will be responsible for transforming carbon dioxide into oxygen and capturing and storing carbon, can grow. In this way, agrovoltaics contributes to climate change mitigation.

Agrovoltaics is a wonderful climate change adaptation and mitigation measure that farmers should implement. However, the high initial investment cost prevents many of them from doing so, so support from governments and public or private companies to cover the cost of installing solar panels on farmers' fields is of utmost importance. This technology definitely looks very promising!

Reference materials:

Muñoz B. (2022). Investigación y desarrollo de la optimización de la tecnología agrovoltaica en la zona de Almería. Universidad Zaragoza. https://zaguan.unizar.es/record/118325/files/TAZ-TFM-2022-204.pdf

Bonzi M, Spengeman S, La Red Hispana. (February 28, 2022). Energía Agrovoltaica Para Resolver La Crisis Climática. Yale Climate Connections. https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2022/02/energia-agrovoltaica-para-resolver-la-crisis-climatica/