Hello there, solar enthusiasts! Today, I want to delve into an innovative concept that is poised to catapult the solar industry and agriculture to greater heights – agrivoltaics. Now, you might be thinking: What exactly is agrivoltaics? Essentially, it’s a practice of co-locating solar arrays and farming, an idea that is being taken very seriously by some of the top-tier solar companies globally.
In the solar industry, agrivoltaics usually implies installing solar panels on functional farmland. However, these solar arrays for homes or farms are not your traditional solar installations. Instead, they are elevated higher to create a conducive environment for crops to grow beneath them.
This unique field of study has been embraced enthusiastically by Rutgers University, who, in partnership with SolarEdge, a leading solar company, is spearheading vital research on dual-use agrivoltaics. The research falls under the Dual-Use Solar Energy Pilot Program administered by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, aiming to comprehensively study 200 MW of agrivoltaic installations over a three-year period.
Covering three project sites, each employing a different panel mounting method, the pilot program brings valuable insights into agrivoltaics’ effects on cost, agriculture production, and grid electricity generation.
Furthermore, all three sites will utilize SolarEdge’s advanced module level power electronics (MLPE) to gather and scrutinize production data. In a nutshell, the integration of agrivoltaics epitomizes a significant ‘win-win’ situation for both the solar and agricultural sectors, escalating solar development to address pressing climate change issues without threatening our essential farming land.
Interestingly, the U.S. is already home to over 500 active agrivoltaic sites, contributing an impressive 9 GW of solar capacity to the grid. With an evident rising interest in agrivoltaics across solar companies and stakeholders, this number is expected to surge exponentially in the future.
The pilot program’s research areas include numerous impactful domains such as the effects on yield and quality of different crops, impact on pastures and grazing animals, Controlled Environment Agriculture opportunities, and a greenhouse gas based-Life cycle assessment.
Thus, agrivoltaics exemplifies how optimal design can revolutionize solar panels for your home, or in this case, farms, while addressing possible economic opportunities and challenges linked to this domain in New Jersey.
In a world grappling with climate change, this remarkable blend of solar power and agriculture practice offers much promise. By effectively merging solar arrays for homes and agriculture, agrivoltaics significantly minimize land-use challenges affiliated with ground-mounted solar developments, providing a stable revenue stream and guarding against climate hazards.
Through agrivoltaics, it’s abundantly clear that solar companies are not only revolutionizing the way we harness energy but also paving the way for a greener, sustainable future. Let’s all keep our eyes on this blossoming industry intersection, as it’s certain to bring new opportunities to our great Sunshine State!
So, if you’re pondering over the ideal solar array for home, why not consider an agrivoltaic intervention? It’s not merely a solar installation – it’s a revolutionary step towards a sustainable future. Stay solar, stay sustainable!
Original Articlehttps://pv-magazine-usa.com/2024/07/01/rutgers-university-studies-co-locating-solar-energy-with-crop-production/
