As industries globally work towards achieving net-zero emissions, there is an immediate necessity to reduce emissions across all sectors. Agriculture is a vital area to focus on, as it contributes to nearly 22% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.
A promising strategy for decarbonizing agriculture is the integration of solar panels—commonly known as photovoltaics (PVs)—in fields where crops, greenhouses, and livestock are present. This method, referred to as agrivoltaics, allows farmers to cut down on carbon emissions while continuing food production.
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Agrivoltaics also provide a solution to a significant criticism often raised against solar energy—the belief that solar farms “consume” extensive tracts of farmland that are better suited for agriculture. In fact, solar farms currently take up only 0.15% of total land in the UK, which is significantly less than the 70% of land currently dedicated to agriculture.
The most basic form of an agrivoltaic system involves positioning traditional crystalline silicon PVs (the predominant kind of solar panel) in agricultural fields alongside livestock. This method has seen rising popularity in recent years for three key reasons.
Firstly, it boosts biodiversity, as fields are diversified rather than limited to a single crop (monoculture), benefiting from crop rotation and not solely harvesting for silage. Secondly, it enhances production since livestock can utilize shade and enjoy healthier pasture growth.
Lastly, solar farms reduce maintenance costs as livestock can naturally manage grass length, all the while the solar panels produce clean, local energy.
Nonetheless, an improper setup of agrivoltaics may lead to complications. A primary concern in crop-growing fields is achieving the right balance between the light needs of crops and solar panels. Crops require light for their growth, and excessive shading from solar panels could negatively impact crop yields.
An agrivoltaic canopy installed in France. Image: Shutterstock
This challenge varies based on geographical location. In regions with fewer sunny days, such as the UK, solar panels need to allow more light penetration. In contrast, in sunnier regions like Spain or Italy, some shade can alleviate heat stress on crops during extremely hot summer months. Achieving the right balance is crucial, as it is contingent upon local conditions, crop varieties, and the requirements of pollinators like bees.
The complexity increases with the selection of PV materials. Conventional solar panels may not always be the best fit since they frequently filter out essential light wavelengths needed by plants.
Innovative materials, including organic semiconductors and perovskites, offer potential since they can be engineered to allow the necessary light to reach crops while still harnessing energy. Unlike traditional inorganic semiconductors, which are metal crystal structures, organic semiconductors are primarily made of carbon and hydrogen. Perovskites combine aspects of both organic and inorganic semiconductor properties.
Numerous material combinations are available, with extensive scientific literature addressing various possibilities. Identifying the optimal fit can be quite challenging.
This is where computational tools become invaluable. Rather than experimenting with every material in real-world environments—which could be time-consuming and costly—researchers can use simulations to predict performance. These models assist in identifying the best materials suited for specific crops and climates, conserving both time and resources.
The Tool
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We have developed an open-source tool aimed at comparing different PV materials, streamlining the process of identifying optimal choices for agrivoltaics. This tool utilizes geographical data and realistic simulations to evaluate the performance of various PV materials.
It assesses how light interacts with the materials, along with other critical performance metrics like voltage and power output. Laboratory measurements of PV materials can also be integrated while correlating them with real-world conditions.
Using this tool, we modeled the power generation potential of various PV materials per square meter throughout a year in different regions and gauged how much light could reach crops to ensure adequate growth.
An agrivoltaic installation over raspberry crops in the Netherlands. Image: Shutterstock
By performing these simulations across multiple materials, we were able to identify the best options for different crops and climates.
Tools like ours could play a critical role in the decarbonization of the agricultural sector by guiding the design of agrivoltaic systems. Future research could merge these simulations with economic and environmental impact analyses, enabling the assessment of solar panel energy output over their lifetime against the resources and costs associated with their production.
Ultimately, our tool could aid researchers and policymakers in selecting the most effective, economical, and eco-friendly approaches for decarbonizing agriculture, thereby moving us closer to achieving global net-zero emissions.
Austin Kay is a researcher specializing in sustainable advanced materials at the Centre for Integrative Semiconductor Materials at Swansea University.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
