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Agrivoltaics in general make a lot of sense, especially in mid to lower latitude regions. During peak summer in direct sun the temperatures now are often hotter
by barathr 3y ago
Agrivoltaics in general make a lot of sense, especially in mid to lower latitude regions. During peak summer in direct sun the temperatures now are often hotter than is ideal for optimal photosynthesis, and this problem will get worse as the planet continues to warm. Solar panels can soak up those photons on peak summer days -- when there's high AC demand, among other things. (There's also another advantage -- the panels will keep working even in the winter on lands that are fallow in the winter.)
- r00fus 3y agoNot to mention with climate change and increased summer temps (like we're suffering now in the northern hemisphere) shading may be required for optimal crop growth.
- ianburrell 3y agoAlso, solar panels can be spread out more to let some light through. That uses more space, but land can be cheap. And that could let other uses like grazing continue making more land available overall.
- pfdietz 3y agoIf the solar panels are tilted to optimize winter production, then during the summer much of the sun will strike the ground between the rows of panels.
- lovemenot 3y agoPV cells lose efficiency as temperatures increase. Having irrigated crops below should reduce air temp around the cells, slightly improving their power yield.
- barathr 3y agoYup, this is a mutual benefit -- better PV efficiency and better crop yield.
- paiute 3y agoWait what??? So 1-2 degrees average is enough to be past peak photosynthesis temperatures? And putting black solar panels is going to bring that back into optimal range? I can’t see any of that being close to factual. Crops under panels could make a lot of sense but not for any of what you said. solar panels raise the localized temp. Solar panels probably keep the area warmer when the sun is down(heat island effect). They also provide shade. Those things could be good or bad for the crop depending on the crop and the region. It’s hot today, I’m going to open the freezer door to cool the house.
- dieselgate 3y agoAt the very least it would be helpful to use a temperature unit when mentioning degrees.
- adrian_b 3y agoDirect solar light is more than any plant can handle, but the plants are adapted to this, which is why the terrestrial plants are green, instead of being black, in order to reflect a large part of the solar light to avoid overheating, even if this reduces the amount of captured energy. On the other hand the oceans are dominated by diatoms and brown algae, which absorb a much greater part of the solar light. There are many plants which are adapted to live in shadows and which would grow well under solar panels, but I do not know if there are many useful crops among them.
- kadoban 3y ago> Direct solar light is more than any plant can handle, but the plants are adapted to this, which is why the terrestrial plants are green, instead of being black, in order to reflect a large part of the solar light to avoid overheating, even if this reduces the amount of captured energy. From what I've read, it's more nuanced/complicated than that. It depends on details of how photosynthesis works rather than just being a simple heat effect. https://www.quantamagazine.org/why-are-plants-green-to-reduce-the-noise-in-photosynthesis-20200730/ https://www.quantamagazine.org/why-are-plants-green-to-reduc...