Solar Panels Plus Farming? Agrivoltaics Explained

Solar panels plus farming? Agrivoltaics explained. Could combining solar panels plus farming be a viable solution to the growing demand for food production and energy demand? Let’s take a closer look at electrifying our crops (not literally electrifying crops) … well, adding solar to our farm land as well as some of the side benefits and challenges it creates.

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I may earn a small commission for my endorsement or recommendation to products or services linked above, but I wouldn't put them here if I didn't like them. Your purchase helps support the channel and the videos I produce. Thank you.

[wlspook]

As a Dutch Greenhouse Manufacturing Engineer I can already tell you that we calculate the steel constructions with the posibility to directly or later install solar panels. This means that when the end customer wants to place solar panels he can do so without any repurcussions from the local governments as the building permit and the construction calculations are already in place for any eventual agrivoltaic farming. But your story has enlightened me in a few more ways so thank you for that!

[sstallsmith]

Sunny California with it's water shortages comes to mind for this. Saving 50% water costs, adding income from power generation and maintaining same yield - a win-win.

[elitedestroyer]

To me agrivoltaics seems to be most effective in smaller operations where heavy machinery isn't used. The raspberry farm was a perfect example of that. Basically if it grows in a plastic tunnel and it's harvested by hand, agrivoltaics will probably be perfect.

[maxinereynolds]

Although I did not know the concept existed I imagined it and went searching for just this idea. I searched ‘can you grow under solar panels?’ and was VERY PLEASED to find this video on agrivoltaics!!!! Thank you for this beautifully explained video. We are building a home in Jamaica and I was saddened by the builder’s plan to create a solar park which would use up so much of the precious land space (a slope that has to be terraced) that I had plans to create garden spaces. I wish you were closer to Jamaica so I could actually see the agrivoltaics in person. Thanks again for this video!

[PiyushGupta-vxqi]

In India, we do something like this by placing solar panels at the top of canals. Because there are lots of canals in India. The extra benefit is solar panels reduce the loss of water due to evaporation providing extra for agriculture. The shade also prevents the growth of algae in the water. And the presence of water underneath keeps the panels cool.

[AngieMeadKing]

Yes we should, I’m trying to learn as much as I can about it to try it on my farm.

[DC]

There are also new solar panels that allow the wave lengths that plants need to go mostly through the panel. This would be ideal for greenhouses as they already have the metal frames.

[ArslanMajeed]

In Pakistan, we have a project underway to put floating solar panels over water dams. Makes the surface area usable, reduces water evaporation and helps keep the panels cool and I don't know the technical details but somehow it also helps improve the efficiency of panels too (in terms of generating energy per unit).

[ChrisvanHasselt]

I wish that instead of the "car broiler" top deck on parking decks in urban areas, the top deck would be covered with solar panel for shading cars & people, as well as generating electricity. This could be beneficial for powering more charging stations in the deck.

[ojaimark]

I have a home garden/homestead in the desert and I'm constantly having to use shade cloth to protect my crops. Even sun loving crops like peppers can get burnt to a crisp if it gets particularly hot and bright. I'm legit considering trying to slap together a home setup like this.

[bernddamian]

Sometimes I wonder what the world would have looked like without innovations like this😊, my advice for everyone, both in the agricultural industry and elsewhere, is to evolve with the world in others so as not to to be left behind

[srqnate]

I have same 2018 Model 3 RWD LR...all the same options including FSD. Similar happiness on my end after 5 years(8.1.18 is 5 years). My range declined a little more than you. 100% now = 278 miles, and seems to have stayed there a long time. I went ahead and wrapped my whole car a few months ago to give it new life. It worked. Glossy Cosmic Blue. Love this car!

[keacoq]

This seems important. For me the measure is the production of two hectares of agrovoltaics, compared with 1ha of traditional agriculture and 1ha of normal photovoltaics. I like the idea that panels can produce electricity and at the same time produce useful shade.

[pedrow]

Glad to see a SMART application of solar on land that does not waste the land underneath. The shade the panels produce should be optimized. Parking lots, the building underneath in hot climates

[thomasdam]

As an employee of a company that operates of some of GroenLeven's solar park portfolio, seeing a pilot project of theirs so close to home featured in this video was a very pleasant surprise! For anyone who wants to know, there are currently more Dutch shade-crop farmers installing solar on top of their greenhouses (not as a pilot, but as actual revenue generating projects). Driving through the vast greenhouse landscape north of Amsterdam and The Hague you can see many of these popping up, great development to see :)

[NoStressVanLife]

I saw this a few years back at the Biodome in Arizona as a study, it help ed keep temperatures way lower for the plants in arizona's aggressive heat, and helped growth all around.

[thijs]

I can imagine Agrivoltaics making big strides in the future. I feel like right now it's just in its starting phases like many other green energy production ideas, but maybe once more research has been done and the benefits of using agrivoltaics is better demonstrated and documented, it can really take off.

[DavidTrad]

Matt, what I love about all your videos, especially ones that discuss the contentious space, it's your willingness to put forward the pro and con argument, all in the same segment.

The contest of ideas and the debate in the discussion, is the only thing that will move us forward as a civilisation and society.

Thank you for the videos mate 👍

[Chitus]

This sort of farming would be greatly beneficial here in Australia where water can be a little scarce at times. Storms come through (hail) and wipe out large area's of fruit.. Grapes, pumpkin, corn, etc etc. Having this type of set up would help protect the plants whilst having other benefits. Water reduction, power production etc.. Fantastic idea.

[riverludington]

Helped conduct research at the University of Arizona on agrovoltaics! All of the crops under solar panels produced significantly more, because of the reduced heat stress. The greatest difference was the tomatoes, as the control group in the sun didn't fruit at all so the percentage increase in yield was a problematic way to summarize the results as we were dividing by 0.