Illustration of how to use photovoltaic panels for agricultural machinery

What is agrivoltaic farming?

Here’s all you need to know about ‘agrivoltaic farming’ Agrivoltaic farming uses the shaded space underneath solar panels to grow crops. This article was updated on 28 October 2022. Agrivoltaic farming is the practice of growing crops underneath solar panels. Scientific studies show some crops thrive when grown in this way.

Should agrivoltaic planners put solar over a farm?

Or farm first, and put solar over it?” If farming is the main priority, she says, then the solar panels may need to be spaced farther apart and possibly be raised higher. Such changes could potentially limit how much electricity those farm fields generate. And agrivoltaic planners may need to treat the soil, Macknick says.

What are the different uses of agrivoltaics?

Agrivoltaics includes many different uses. Agrivoltaics systems can be installed in the same basic row layout as a traditional large-scale solar plant—or they can be modified to provide extra space for light, animals, or farm equipment to move under and between them.

Do agrivoltaic sheep graze in solar panels?

Meanwhile, researchers at Oregon State University have determined that sheep reared in agrivoltaic settings prefer to graze in the shade of solar panels. The study also found that, despite finding less forage in solar pastures, lamb production did not differ from lambs grazed in open fields.

Could agrivoltaic farming be a solution?

Agrivoltaic farming could be a solution to not just one but both of these problems. It uses the shaded space underneath solar panels to grow crops. This increases land-use efficiency, as it lets solar farms and agriculture share ground, rather than making them compete against one another.

How agrivoltaic systems can help farmers in East Africa?

Elsewhere, agrivoltaic systems in East Africa are allowing farmers to make better use of land that was previously seen as unviable. An Agrivoltaic farming project in Kenya is using solar panels held several metres off the ground, with gaps in between them. The shade from the panels protects vegetables from heat stress and water loss.