Agrivoltaics: combining crop production and solar energy generation

The concept of agrivoltaics (agri-PV) involves the installation of solar panels directly on fields where crops are grown or livestock animals are grazed. This integration helps farmers diversify their income while maintaining the agricultural use of the land. The equipment is positioned in such a way that plants receive the necessary sunlight while being protected from overheating during peak hours. Furthermore, the panels prevent excessive evaporation of soil moisture, while transpiration from the plants themselves helps cool the photovoltaic cells, increasing their efficiency.

This approach is a response to the criticism of using arable land for energy projects. In California, in the San Joaquin Valley, there are plans to launch large-scale projects on 70,000 acres of land that is currently unused due to water scarcity. The Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan program by Golden State Clean Energy involves the installation of solar panels with a capacity of up to 21 GW and a similar volume of energy storage systems over the next decade. It is expected that the implementation of 30–60 individual projects will provide electricity to more than 10 million households.

In the state of Virginia, the government has also taken measures to stimulate agrivoltaics by establishing an official definition of this field in legislation. This is intended to assist in the implementation of a 2020 law requiring the state's two largest utilities to develop renewable energy sources with a total capacity of over 16 GW.

European countries are also showing interest in such technologies. According to data from the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, utilizing just 1% of Europe's agricultural land for agrivoltaic installations would allow for the annual generation of hundreds of terawatt-hours of electricity without harming the agricultural sector. Greece has already announced corresponding plans, intending to develop 130 MW of agrivoltaic capacity within its territory.

The development of dual-use land resources allows farmers to maintain production areas during periods of drought and other climatic challenges, while ensuring environmental benefits and reducing competition for land plots.