Solar Power Is Gaining Traction With Farmers

As energy companies explore innovative ways to increase clean power production and gain public support for new projects, many solar firms are investing in developing dual-purpose operations that utilise agricultural land for solar farms. A common criticism of solar farms is that installing panels on arable land for the sole purpose of energy production restricts land use for other purposes. However, installing solar panels on agricultural land, where farming practices can still take place, could provide a solution to the problem.Many solar projects are being developed on arid, nonarable land which would not otherwise be developed. However, solar cells typically function more effectively in humid, rather than dry, conditions. But developing solar farms on arable land has garnered political opposition and public criticism in the past. Meanwhile, the not-in-my-backyard opposition to solar projects continues to be a major deterrent for development. However, using solar panels on land already developed for agriculture can allow for clean energy production while appeasing critics.Agrivoltaics, also known as agrophotovoltaics, agri solar or agri-PV, have started to grow in popularity and scale in recent years, as clean energy companies invest in developing dual-use sites. Solar panels can be installed above or around land used for crop production or livestock grazing.Dual-use land has become popular among the farming community, as it offers farmers an opportunity to gain additional income from the same land they use for their agricultural activity. In addition to diversifying revenue sources, installing solar PV on farmland can have ecological advantages while reducing land-use competition and siting restrictions.Solar panels are positioned so crops have access to sunlight but provide shade for crops and livestock during the most intense hours of sunlight and heat. They can also help stop water from evaporating from the soil. Meanwhile, crops growing underneath solar panels emit water vapour, which can help cool the panels from below and help them function more efficiently.California plans to develop giant solar fields across tens of thousands of acres of fallow agricultural land that has been left idle due to water shortages. Roughly 70,000 acres of former farmland in the San Joaquin Valley west of Fresno have been forced to idle by the local water agency. As we are experiencing more frequent periods of drought in several parts of the world, developing dual-use projects can help farmers to keep their land even when it is not productive. The private developer Golden State Clean Energy is working with the water agency and farmers to develop the land for clean energy production.Golden State plans to install up to 21 GW of solar panels and 21 GW of battery storage across 136,000 acres over the next decade as part of its Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan. Once complete, it is expected to provide enough clean power for over 10 million homes. The plan will consist of between 30 and 60 individual projects, with Golden State developing just 5 to 10 per cent of the solar farms, leaving the remaining sites open for other investors. The megaproject is expected to help California achieve its aim to get 100 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2045. Meanwhile, in Virginia, the data centre development capital of the United States, the state government is exploring ways to boost energy production as the power demand continues to rise. In June, Virginia codified a state definition for agrivoltaics in a bid to encourage developers to invest in projects across the state. A 2020 law requires Virginia’s two largest utilities to develop over 16 GW of land-based renewable energy, mostly solar power. However, solar developments have been widely demonised in the state, as they have been blamed for Virginia’s rapid loss of farmland – even though housing developments have contributed far more to this phenomenon. This led almost two-thirds of Virginia counties to outlaw or severely restrict large-scale solar. Developing solar projects on farmland could, therefore, help meet Virginia’s energy demand while responding to public concerns. It is not just the United States that is developing its agrivoltaics sector, as several other parts of the world welcome investment. Research by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre has shown that agrivoltaics could provide hundreds of gigawatts of solar capacity across Europe while only using a small proportion of the region’s agricultural land. Deploying agrivoltaics on roughly 1 per cent of Europe’s agricultural land could generate hundreds of terawatt-hours of electricity annually without restricting agricultural activity. In December, Greece announced plans to develop 130 MW of agrivoltaics across the country.Developing dual-use land for agriculture and clean energy production could help optimise the use of arable land or provide an alternative use for idle land. It also provides additional income to farmers, many of whom face climate change challenges that are threatening their livelihoods. The use of agrivoltaics could also help clean energy companies to garner public and government support for projects on arable land.By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.comMore Top Reads From Oilprice.comDrone Attack Hits Power Plant at Key Libyan Oil HubHormuz Traffic Sinks to Six Vessels Monday as Iran Talks Stall AgainOPEC Output Climbs Again, But Still Trails Quota Targets