This paper provides a conceptual exploration of how a proposed framework can guide decision making for solar development across multiple scales and settings, while also illuminating the potential barriers and bottlenecks that may limit the potential of solar energy development to occur in scales and forms that receive community acceptance and at the pace necessary to address the greenhouse gas emissions currently contributing to the rapidly changing global climate.
This report describes a solar-powered pneumatic grain/seed cleaning system. The report stats that a solar powered pneumatic grain/seed cleaning system was developed with specific functional, structural and operational design parameters. The developed pneumatic cleaner was tested for garden pea, bottle gourd, sponge gourd and radish seed lots of different impurity levels. It was found that the processed lot achieved more than 99% physical purity irrespective of type of seed and impurity levels and the cleaning efficiency of the system was more than 96%.
This report describes the design and use of a solar-powered fruit and vegetable grader. This study demonstrates one of the innovative, agricultural engineering features that can be potentially used in the context of various agrisolar operations that include crops.
The identified concerns in this study can be used to refine the technology to increase adoption among farmers and to translate the potential of agrivoltaics to address the competition for land between solar PV and agriculture into changes in solar siting, farming practice, and land-use decision-making.
This report describes a low-cost, solar-powered, air-inflated grain dryer. Moisture levels measured during harvest and storage can fluctuate based on the design and efficiency of grain dryers. These solar-powered grain dryers have been shown to be effective in optimizing the moisture levels during the harvest process. These innovative technologies can possibly be used in various contexts of agrisolar operations that include crops.
This report describes the design and construction of a solar photovoltaic food dryer. The hybrid solar-energy dryer uses PV panels to power the heating element coil and charging battery which includes a storage energy system used to study drying behavior. Solar-powered dryers could be effective technologies to use in future agrisolar operations that include grain or other crops.
This report describes the efficacy of a solar-powered cooler in Kenya. In addition to keeping the produce cooler, it also maintains the carbon dioxide and oxygen balance and reduces spoilage. These conclusions were drawn from variations of storage conditions and climate conditions of the beans in the study.
This NASA report describes a solar-powered refrigeration system that uses a variable speed, direct current (DC) vapor compression cooling system, connected to a solar photovoltaic panel. The system, patented by NASA, eliminates reliance on an electric grid, requires no batteries and stores thermal energy for efficient use when sunlight is absent. The system is specifically ideal for off-grid applications, and works well for vaccine coolers and solar-ice makers, among other things. Some of the contexts of this system’s application has been found in various agrisolar operations.
This report describes a food storage structure that includes a solar-powered, evaporative cooler. The storage structure was designed and developed to increase the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables. The report shows that this is made possible by solar-powered exhaust fans and a cooling pump that provides water to the pads. These applications may be useful when agrisolar operations are located in dry or desert conditions.
This report describes a cold-storage structure that employs a solar-powered cooler to reduce food spoilage after harvest. The results of this project show that through low-cost cold rooms powered by solar energy, farmers can extend shelf life of fruits and vegetables which ultimately increases revenue for smallholder farms and their bargaining power in the marketplace.
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Harvesting the Sun, the Agrisolar Short Film, is Available Now!March 20, 2024 - 5:52 pm
Case Study: Alaska AgrivoltaicsMarch 20, 2024 - 10:07 am
