Can we farm under solar power generation

Are solar panels farming the Sun?

"Essentially, we are farming the sun," says Ben Dritenbas, senior development project manager at DSD Renewables, a solar developer and asset owner in the renewable energy industry. Agrivoltaics didn't come around because some tech geeks thought it would be funny to put solar panels in a field with a bunch of sheep.

What is a solar farm & how does it work?

In solar farms the land is only used to accommodate solar panels, and nothing else. That means no crops are grown under or around the solar panels, as is the case in an agrivoltaic farm. There are, however, some solar farms where the land is also used for ‘solar grazing’.

Could agrivoltaic farming be a solution?

Agrivoltaic farming could be a solution to not just one but both of these problems. It uses the shaded space underneath solar panels to grow crops. This increases land-use efficiency, as it lets solar farms and agriculture share ground, rather than making them compete against one another.

Does solar grazing count as agrivoltaic farming?

There are, however, some solar farms where the land is also used for ‘solar grazing’. This is where livestock, typically sheep, are free to roam around the solar panels to eat grass. This doesn’t technically count as agrivoltaic farming, but it’s still an efficient use of space.

Can agricultural crops be planted under solar panels?

With the continuous advancement of solar energy production, mathematical models for predicting the effects of planting agricultural crops under PV panels that are solely used for solar power generation would be beneficial in order to shorten the time required prior to practical implementation.

Can solar energy be used for livestock farming?

Solar electrical energy could be co-generated with livestock farming, in addition to co-producing electricity and agricultural crops. According to Lytle et al. (2020), who proposed an agrivoltaic system design idea based on feeding rabbits, this system could increase overall income by 2.5 %–24 %, as each rabbit has a high value per unit weight.