This study addresses the interplay between radiation transmission, crop development and irrigation needs of corn cropping in field conditions, by the description of crop development dynamics, distinguishing between fixed and dynamic panels. Researchers showed that maize crop responded to both independent and combined stresses (shade and water deficit), with a significant decrease in leaf area index, total dry matter and grain yield. Concerning water use, we showed the potential of AV to reduce irrigation inputs via reduced soil water depletion and reference evapotranspiration.
Tag Archive for: AgriSolar
In this article, researchers propose 19 directly measurable indicators associated with 16 ecosystem services within three major stocks of natural capital (biodiversity, soil and water) that are most likely to be impacted by the development of solar parks.
In this work, researchers evaluate the effects of wavelength-selective cutoffs of visible and near-infrared (biologically active) radiation using transparent photovoltaic (TVP) absorbers on the growth of three diverse, representative, and economically important crops: petunia, basil, and tomato. The results identify crop-specific design requirements that exist for TPV harvester transmission and the necessity to maximize transmission of photosynthetically active radiation to create the most broadly applicable TPV greenhouse harvesters for diverse crops and geographic locations. They determine that the deployment of 10% power conversion efficiency plant-optimized TPVs over approximately 10% of total agricultural and pastureland in the U.S. would generate 7 TW, nearly double the entire energy demand of the U.S.
This article details Louisiana’s current solar decommissioning regulations and makes suggestions for how to improve the state’s approach to decommissioning solar installations.
Agrisolar Clearinghouse Hosts Farm to Table Event at Biosphere 2
The AgriSolar Clearinghouse held an AgriSolar Farm to Table event at Biosphere 2 in Tucson, Arizona, last week, in partnership with the GreenBiz23 conference. Similar to the AgriSolar Clearinghouse Follow the Sun field trips, the AgriSolar Farm to Table events bring members of the agrisolar community together to see, touch, taste, and celebrate the delicious foods grown and grazed at solar farms around the country.
The AgriSolar Clearinghouse, along with sponsor Enel North America and partners from Biosphere 2, Connexus Energy, NREL, InSPIRE, Jack’s Solar Garden, and Columbia University, networked with attendees while they enjoyed lunch and refreshments prepared by Chefs Erin, Mateo, and Janos. The menu highlighted foods grown and grazed under solar arrays, including honey, beans, lamb, salad greens, potatoes, and saffron. Discussions ensued amongst attendees while Enel awarded Bare Honey solar-grown honey and the highly coveted agrivoltaic Lego sets.
During the lunch, attendees also enjoyed learning about the Biosphere 2’s agrivoltaic project from Dr. Greg Barren-Gafford and graduate students Kai Lepley, Nesrine Rouini, Alyssa Salazar, and Caleb Ortega. Dr. Barren-Gafford provided a background on Biosphere 2, as well as research conducted at the site and its application to agrivoltaics throughout the country.
Also attending the event was Sarah Bendok, a high-school freshman from Phoenix, Arizonaand founder of Growing Green, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on improving agriculture while simultaneously decreasing negative impacts on the environment. Bendok is planning to create an agrivoltaic site at her local community garden and is participating in the AgriSolar Clearinghouse’s peer-to-peer mentoring program under the guidance of Dr. Barron-Gafford and graduate student Nesrine Rouini in pursuit of obtaining the Girl Scout Gold Award.
Thank you to Dr. Barron-Gafford and the Greg Barron-Gafford Research Group; Jesse Puckett; Enel; Rob Davis; Biosphere 2; University of Arizona; Chefs Erin, Mateo, and Janos; the AgriSolar Clearinghouse team; and all the good people that braved the weather to join our agrisolar community in the celebration.
More photos from the event can be found here: AgriSolar Farm to Table at Biosphere 2 | Flickr.
Sign up for the AgriSolar Extra to be sure you know about upcoming Follow the Sun Tour stops.
University of Arizona Researchers Awarded $1.2 Million to Explore Agrisolar
“Researchers will test three different watering strategies, ranging from intensive irrigation to almost no water, and use the shadows cast by solar panels to provide benefits to the agricultural process. The most heavily watered plot will closely replicate current agricultural practices and include plants with greater water needs, like tomatoes and varieties of lettuce. The second plot will involve watering to establish growth, but much less thereafter, to reintroduce native grasses. The final plot will require little to no watering and include ‘climate smart’ plants that have grown for hundreds, if not thousands, of years in the region: prickly pear, agave, legumes and others.” – University of Arizona
Germany’s Vattenfall Invests in 76-Megawatt Agrisolar Project
“For the first time, Vattenfall will implement this innovative concept of land use on a commercial scale with partners. The aim of the project in Tützpatz is to combine module types on different mounting systems with suitable agricultural uses over an area of 95 ha, and thus gain further practical experience for future commercial projects of this kind. According to current plans, construction at Tützpatz is scheduled to start in early summer 2023.” a– Reve
Understanding the basis on which stakeholders judge and decide on such innovations is crucial to understanding perception and adoption, especially when the potential value of an innovation is not solely on an individual level but also on a societal level. Researchers combine two theoretical lenses, the innovation diffusion theory for an individual and the social acceptance perspective for a societal lens. Through 27 semi-structured stakeholder interviews, we explore perceptions of agrivoltaics by different stakeholder types in three countries (Germany, Belgium, and Denmark) and different agrivoltaics system designs (vertical, horizontal, and as replacement of cover installations).
Using high-resolution energy and land-use modeling, researchers developed spatially explicit scenarios for reaching an economy-wide net-zero greenhouse gas target in the
western United States by 2050. Different levels of land and ocean use protections were applied to determine their effect on siting, environmental and social impacts, and energy costs. Meeting the net-zero target with stronger land and ocean use protections did not significantly alter the share of different energy generation technologies and only increased system costs by 3%, but decreased additional interstate transmission capacity by 20%. Yet, failure to avoid development in areas with high conservation value is likely to result in substantial habitat loss.
In this study, researchers sought to characterize crop responses to semi-transparent organic solar cells (ST-OSCs) in greenhouses. Lettuce and tomato crops were grown under three ST-OSCs filters that created different light spectra. Lettuce yield and early tomato development were not negatively affected by the modified light environment. A genomic analysis revealed that lettuce production exhibited beneficial traits involving nutrient content and nitrogen utilization while select ST-OSCs impact regulation of flowering initiation in tomato. These results suggest that ST-OSCs integrated into greenhouses are not only a promising technology for energy-neutral, sustainable and climate-change protected crop production, but can deliver benefits beyond energy considerations.
In this AgriSolar Clearinghouse webinar, Dr. Greg Barron-Gafford discusses the effects of growing crops under solar panels.
The AgriSolar webinar series continues in March. Sign up for these free webinars, here.
By Tyler Swanson and Quin Karhoff
The Bock Agricultural Law and Policy Program at the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign is conducting a study supported by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory on the economics of solar grazing. Our research goal is to determine the structure of a solar grazing business, the cost associated with entering the solar grazing market, and a general range of profits a solar grazer can expect to earn in a given year. With this data, we aim to create a free, customizable budget tool that prospective solar grazers can use to gain a better understanding of the cost of entering the market and the revenues they can generate over time.
To accomplish our research goals, we would greatly appreciate you taking a few minutes to complete the survey linked below about your solar grazing operation. Be assured that your identity will be kept confidential.
Further, we understand that your time has value. If you include your email address at the end of the survey, we will send you a $5 Amazon gift card to compensate you for your participation.
Thank you for your assistance and we hope that the findings of our study will be beneficial to your operation. If you have any questions, please reach out to Tyler Swanson at tswans4@illinois.edu
THE LATEST
AgriSolar News Roundup: Agrisolar in Nova Scotia, Albania Agrisolar Law, World Soil Day December 11, 2024 - 12:48 pm
Case Study: Fiddlehead FarmsNovember 21, 2024 - 8:24 am
SCAPES Agrivoltaics Survey November 12, 2024 - 4:29 pm- AgriSolar News Roundup: Agrisolar Development, Aquavoltaics in Taiwan, Illinois Solar Grazing November 12, 2024 - 9:46 am