Agrivoltaics is an innovative solution that combines agricultural production with photovoltaics, offering environmental, economic, and agricultural benefits. Today, farmers face a series of challenges, not only due to rising energy costs but also because of a lack of available land for cultivation or clean energy production, as well as extreme weather events caused by climate change.
Agrivoltaics, therefore, represents an effective solution to address these problems, as this sustainable energy production system maximizes land use, allowing farmers to generate clean energy while growing food crops on the same plot of land.
What are the benefits of agrivoltaics?
Here are some of the many benefits of agrivoltaics:
- Preserves land for agricultural use.
- Promotes shading.
- Reduces the water requirements of crops and supports agricultural cultivation.
Moreover, thanks to the elevation of solar panels, the land maintains its fertility and can transition from traditional crop farming to higher-value cultivation such as horticulture, fruit growing, or viticulture.
SolarEdge Solution
An example of technology in agrivoltaic implementation is SolarEdge, a leading company in the photovoltaic sector. Their advanced technology maximizes energy efficiency, improving the productivity of the crops themselves. The SolarEdge solution consists of inverters, power optimizers, and a monitoring platform.
The solar panels are mounted on specialized structures, elevating them from the ground, which offers benefits to the underlying soil: the shade generated by the panels helps keep the soil moist, thus reducing irrigation costs.
Additionally, the SolarEdge solution for agrivoltaics includes solar trackers equipped with artificial intelligence, capable of autonomously adjusting the panel orientation in response to sunlight, weather conditions, and crop needs. The monitoring platform optimizes solar energy and adapts to the specific needs of the land and crops. It also tracks performance data, allowing immediate detection of any issues, improving system uptime and solar production.
In a world seeking solutions to combat climate change and promote sustainability, agrivoltaics represents a step forward in ecological agriculture and renewable energy.
This practice offers an additional source of income for farmers, contributing to the economic sustainability of agricultural businesses. With innovative solutions like SolarEdge, it is possible to cultivate a greener future, balancing the needs of agriculture with those of clean energy, aiming to maximize the energy production of the land while promoting an increasingly green development model.
Contact our experts for a free consultation to find the right solution for your needs at home.