Understanding Agrivoltaics: Where Agriculture Meets Solar Power

Countries have set ambitious targets for solar energy. But, when it comes to expanding PV capacity, one of the biggest challenges we face right now is the availability of suitable land.

Yes, massive ground-mounted power plants can indeed go a long way in strengthening power infrastructure and meeting rising energy demand in a greener, non-polluting way. But, on the flip side, such installments render a large amount of arable land unusable.

And in this ever-expanding economy, we cannot afford that!

Agrivoltaics, which combines the dual worlds of agriculture and photovoltaics is one solution to this conundrum.

The term, which was first used back in 1982, refers to the simultaneous use of land for solar energy generation and agriculture. Studies have shown that this method can increase global land productivity by anywhere between 35-75%.

So how do these systems work?

One thing to note is that Agrivoltaics is still a relatively new technology that is being implemented in a variety of ways. However, there are some commonalities:

The land in question can be used for all sorts of agricultural activities- be it crop cultivation or sheep grazing. But the most common usage for such systems is for growing food.

The crops are specially selected based on shading tolerance and local growing conditions, so they can thrive in this new environment. They are either cultivated either two rows of panels (interspace farming) or underneath the modules.

The plants help keep the panel surface cooler, which ultimately boosts generation.

We have established that to generate electricity, solar panels are mounted on agricultural grounds. Now, they either be mounted at the conventional height or at an elevated level.

The latter option helps the plants receive the maximum sunlight at crucial hours.

In both cases, however, the modules prevent plants from getting sunburned and dehydrated, which increases food production.

Now, that we understand what Agrivoltaics means, let’s delve into the benefits of this system.

Agrivoltaics are increasingly being adopted around the world, due to 5 chief reasons:

1. Addressing 2 Problems Simultaneously: By simultaneously using the same land for energy generation and food production, Agrivoltaics address the dual problems of food and energy security.

2. Land use efficiency: Land resource has become scarce. Climate change, in addition, has decreased the quantity and quality of arable land. In this scenario, the choice between using the resource for setting up a ground-mounted PV system or cultivating crops has become difficult.

With Agrivoltaics, rather than competing with each other, the two sectors of power generation and food production can coexist. In doing so, it raises the productivity and profitability of the land resource.

3. Additional Income for Farmers: Setting up solar panels on the farmland allows farmers to earn an income by selling clean energy, in addition to their primary source of income. This leads to higher financial security.

4. Rural employment: A system has widespread application in rural areas, which can also lead to the creation of PV jobs in the community. This helps in the overall development of the economy.

5. Public Perception and Education: Government and private corporations adopting this system teach people about sustainable farming and how we can use renewable energy to help the environment.

By doing this, they help everyone understand the importance of finding climate-friendly solutions and make agriculture look good in the eyes of the public.

One great example of agrivoltaic systems is presented by Cochin International Airport Ltd, which is the world’s first solar-powered airport.

Under a portion of its largest solar plant, the organization grows 20 different vegetables such as yam, long yard bean, drumstick, mountain ginger, turmeric, cabbage, cauliflower, and green chili, and has reported a cumulative food production of 60-80 tons annually.

CIAL’s link with the market, along with direct selling to consumers and passengers, allows it to earn additional revenue. Further, with this initiative, the formerly barren land has now been improved with the use of organic fertilizers on the soil.

Image Source: The New Indian Express

As per MNRE, India can generate an additional 630GWp of power by setting up solar panels over just 1% of its agricultural land! Since agricultural land makes up 60% of the country’s total surface area, the potential of Agrivoltaics in India is vast.

However, this system is still being explored in India. According to data by NSEFI, there are 20 agrivoltaic systems across the nation currently and, their capacities range between 3kWp to 3MWp.

More than half of such plants are located in the state of Gujarat.

Moreover, Indian agrivoltaic systems can be broken down into three categories:

1. R&D Systems: Set up by research institutes and universities to study the feasibility and functionality of agrivoltaic systems
2. Government Supported: Developed by the government as pilot projects to again study the functionality of the systems, so they can be integrated into future agricultural schemes.
3. Commercial Products: Set up by private corporations for additional revenue.

When it comes to the implementation of these systems, the biggest challenge in India is the lack of policy support and the cost associated with setting up elevated structures and their maintenance. Though we have begun moving from the R&D stage to commercial deployment, there is tremendous scope for progress.

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