Photo by American Public Power Association on Unsplash
The recent unprecedented global heat has been a wake-up call for everyone. The terrible consequences of climate change are starting to dig in, and we are feeling the effects. But this is just the beginning. Hopefully, this wake-up call will kick the world powers into action and enact the mammoth measures we need to save Planet Earth and save ourselves from our terrifying fate. But luckily, a recent paper from Aarhus University, Denmark, has shown we can kill three birds with one stone, protect nature, protect our food supply, and supply enough renewable energy to reach net-zero, all from a single technology. Welcome to the world of Agrivoltaics.
Agrivoltaics are brilliantly simple. The general idea is to install solar panels over farmland for arable farming and livestock. At face value, you might think this is a little silly. The panels will get in the way of machinery and maybe even hamper the growth of the crops by blocking light. But if you engineer it correctly, it can be enormously advantageous for both the farm and the solar panels.
You see, not all crops need direct access to sunlight 24/7; some grow better with a bit of shade. You can “tune” the solar array to give the right amount of shade and sunlight by changing the spacing between the panels and how far off the ground they are mounted, ensuring the crop gets optimal conditions for growth. The crops that require lots of light can be grown in alternating rows with solar panels, as you still get the other benefits of agrivoltaics this way (which we will come onto in a second). This is why basil, broccoli, celery, peppers, corn, lettuce, potatoes, spinach, tomatoes and wheat have all been shown to have increased crop yields when grown with agrivoltaics.
But this setup has a plethora of other advantages. Firstly, climate-resistance. In summer, the solar panels keep the temperature of the crops low, reduce evaporation rates and keep moisture close to the ground, which can dramatically help the crops survive heat waves and droughts. Both of these are set to become far more potent, frequent and last longer thanks to climate change. But…
