In Canada and the USA, “agrovoltaics” is gaining momentum. This is when solar panels are strategically placed on farmland. Energypost writes about it .
Agrovoltaics is the simultaneous placement of food crops and solar photovoltaic systems that generate electricity directly from sunlight and also create a favorable microclimate.
After concerns that this would interfere with farm machinery and reduce yields, research has shown that large-scale panels can be deployed in such a way that this does not happen, it said.
“In fact, the yield can be increased if the panels are used to protect them from direct sunlight,” explained scientist Joshua Pearce of Western University, Canada.
He noted that agrovoltaics will allow farmers to continue farming, earn more money, reduce electricity costs and help protect the environment.
A study by scientists in the United States has shown that agrovoltaics provide higher economic productivity, energy and yield. The US Department of Energy is currently investing millions of dollars to ensure America’s dominance in this field.
For example, one study in the US showed that pepper production increased by more than 200%. Other crops, such as wheat, showed modest results, increasing by a few percent, but the yield still increased.
So it is not surprising that by 2031 the agrovoltaics market is expected to grow to $9.3 billion.
© Yulia Nemtseva , Kurkul.com, 2023