Agrivoltaics Dual-Use Farming is the incorporation of energy collecting solar panels with farm crops and livestock to increase farm performance and significantly increase farm revenue and profitability.
A Mutually Beneficial Relationship
When plants have absorbed the sunlight they need, any additional sunlight dries out their soil requiring more water. In an Agrivoltaics solution, solar panels can control the amount of sunlight reaching the plants for the optimal solution to keep them hydrated and cool.
The crops can benefit the panels as well. Plants take water from the ground and release it into the atmosphere. This helps the panels stay cool during the day, allowing them to produce energy more efficiently.
Livestock such as sheep or cattle can graze around solar panels keeping the area mowed and clear, while the panels can provide them with shade and wind protection during inclement weather.
Agrivoltaics History
Adolf Goetzberger, founder of the Fraunhofer Institute in 1981, together with Armin Zastrow, theorised about dual usage of arable land for solar energy production and plant cultivation in 1982, which would address the problem of competition for the use of arable land between solar energy production and crops. The light saturation point is the maximum amount of photons absorbable by a plant species: more photons will not increase the rate of photosynthesis. Recognising this, Akira Nagashima also suggested combining photovoltaic (PV) systems and farming to use the excess light, and developed the first prototypes in Japan in 2004.
Agrivoltaics Today
Agrivoltaics in the U.S. is still in it's early stages. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, there are over 2.8 GW of agrivoltaic sites in the U.S., the majority of which involve sheep grazing and/or pollinator habitat. Growing crops under solar panels has been largely confined to research test plots, though this is beginning to change. A few states are encouraging the construction of agrivoltaics through incentives or research. Massachusetts has enacted a feed-in tariff adder of $0.06/kWh for agrivoltaic projects through its Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) program. New Jersey authorized an agrivoltaics pilot program of up to 200 MW on unpreserved farmland and funded an R&D system at the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. Colorado has also funded agrivoltaics research.
If you are interested in Agrivoltaics for your farm, contact DVS Development to schedule an appointment to come to your farm and perform a full analysis.