3 ms·
The shade can be controlled with tracking panels. Full shade at noon when photosynthesis stops due to heat to preserve water, less at other times. The PV can a
by Schroedingersat 3y ago
The shade can be controlled with tracking panels. Full shade at noon when photosynthesis stops due to heat to preserve water, less at other times.
The PV can also perform a nitrogen fixing role via electrolysis and ammonia production.
On a broader scale it can lead to the land being habitable at all by driving a coal or gas generator out of business.
Not better, but more likely to be deployed.
- hosh 3y agoIn order for the panels to function as a nitrogen fixer, you’d not only have to add that functionality to the panel, you also reduce the yield in order to power it. Are people willing to do that? Are there better ways to contribute? When designing plant guilds in this way, these are the common ecological functions plants contribute to: - nitrogen fixer - deep-tap root dynamic accumulator (roots bring up nutrients below most other plant’s root zones and makes it bioavailable at the surface) - pollinator attractor (usually flowers) - aromatic confusers (part of integrated pest management strategies) - sentinels (helps control plants that spread, or protect fragile plants from animals) - animal and insect habitats Then there are keystone species that have so many contributions, the local ecology would fall apart without it. An example is a baynan, from the fig family. These are actually a parasite that takes over a host tree with invasive roots, but they are also keystone species that contributes so much that no one wants to get rid of them. In contrast, I don’t think anyone designs solar panels like this. So it yields something with minimal participation in the ecosystem. Humans want it for the electricity, but it may as well be an invasive species that just extracts resources without really giving anything back.