Tag: agriphotovoltaics

Exploring Agrivoltaics: Benefits and cost economics of APV plants

Exploring Agrivoltaics: Benefits and cost economics of APV plants

December 7, 2022 |

APV plants have several benefits. One, there is dual use of land. There is common civil infrastructure such as fencing, lighting, land grading and storage. Two, there is a high yield of organic horticulture or floriculture due to contro­lled shading. Three, higher PV generation from bifacial panels is possible due to the elevated installation and higher albedo of the shade net/soil/ crop system. In addition, there is a benefit of possibly lowering panel temperatures due to crop evapotranspiration.

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Combining crops and solar panels is allowing Kenya to ‘harvest the sun twice’

Combining crops and solar panels is allowing Kenya to ‘harvest the sun twice’

March 19, 2022 |

In a region where energy security poses real challenges, but sunlight is not in short supply, solar electricity seems an obvious solution for much of Africa. But the answer isn’t as simple as that. Installing vast arrays of photovoltaic (PV) panels often means clearing swathes of land to bare soil. And there is often competition for land, which is also needed for food production. But a new trial planting crops beneath the panels has shown some promising results in Eastern Africa.

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