Semi-Arid Lab for Scalable Agrivoltaics
The Goal:
Agrivoltaics at Scale
Agrivoltaics at Scale
Our team has documented the potential for agrivoltaics to create more sustainable food, energy, and water security,
but how can we move towards larger-scale installations?
One possible solution is work within conventional solar photovoltaics (PV) design constraints - using industry standard spacings between rows of PV panels and heights of the racking systems that support those panels.
If we can bring agriculture back to a developed solar PV site, then we know that we can intentionally design PV sites to accommodate and support agriculture, creating opportunities for food + agriculture to benefit together.
but how can we move towards larger-scale installations?
One possible solution is work within conventional solar photovoltaics (PV) design constraints - using industry standard spacings between rows of PV panels and heights of the racking systems that support those panels.
If we can bring agriculture back to a developed solar PV site, then we know that we can intentionally design PV sites to accommodate and support agriculture, creating opportunities for food + agriculture to benefit together.
Task 1:
Transform an existing solar photovoltaic site into an agrivoltaics exploration lab
We are transforming three 5-acre areas within an existing PV solar site from simple PV over disturbed soil into agrivoltaics areas that represent a range of agricultural practices in the western US:
PV + sheep grazing and pollinator habitat
PV + current commodity crops like tomatoes, peppers, and leafy greens
PV + climate-smart crops like native peppers, agaves, prickly pears, and artichokes
Transform an existing solar photovoltaic site into an agrivoltaics exploration lab
We are transforming three 5-acre areas within an existing PV solar site from simple PV over disturbed soil into agrivoltaics areas that represent a range of agricultural practices in the western US:
PV + sheep grazing and pollinator habitat
PV + current commodity crops like tomatoes, peppers, and leafy greens
PV + climate-smart crops like native peppers, agaves, prickly pears, and artichokes
Task 2:
Understand socio-political challenges and opportunities
We are visiting and listening to farmers, solar developers, community members, and policy makers
Understand socio-political challenges and opportunities
We are visiting and listening to farmers, solar developers, community members, and policy makers
Task 3:
Quantify economic benefits and tradeoffs of MW-scale agrivoltaics
There are costs and benefits to creating spaces for sustainable agriculture and renewable energy development on the same plot of land. Some of these costs are hard and fixed like the expenses related to supporting continued food production or the material costs associated with PV installations. How do we balance those costs with the benefits of rural food production and distribution, supporting small-towns vitality by maintaining agriculture, and more specifically the benefits documented in semiarid regions associated with agrivoltaics -- increased food production, reduced water demand for agriculture, and cooler PV panels that are more efficient? We will bring together the biophysical and sociopolitical datasets to help create clarity around these complex decisions.
Quantify economic benefits and tradeoffs of MW-scale agrivoltaics
There are costs and benefits to creating spaces for sustainable agriculture and renewable energy development on the same plot of land. Some of these costs are hard and fixed like the expenses related to supporting continued food production or the material costs associated with PV installations. How do we balance those costs with the benefits of rural food production and distribution, supporting small-towns vitality by maintaining agriculture, and more specifically the benefits documented in semiarid regions associated with agrivoltaics -- increased food production, reduced water demand for agriculture, and cooler PV panels that are more efficient? We will bring together the biophysical and sociopolitical datasets to help create clarity around these complex decisions.
We Are Proud to be Partners
Complex challenges require great partners with diverse backgrounds. Our team bridges the biophysical and social science, and works across food, water, and energy disciplines.
Complex challenges require great partners with diverse backgrounds. Our team bridges the biophysical and social science, and works across food, water, and energy disciplines.
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