So, for the uninitiated, what is agrivoltaics? The term refers to the simultaneous use of areas of land for both solar photovoltaic power generation and agricultural production.

This means light must be shared between these two types of production. But this does not necessarily mean we have to accept trade-offs between solar energy generation and crop yields. Quite the reverse, according to [Lightstar Renewables VP Lucy] Bullock-Sieger, who suggested dual-use solar can actually help improve water retention, soil health and, ultimately, yield.

[Professor Greg] Barron-Bafford’s work, published in Nature​​, suggested that agrivoltaics provide ‘mutual benefits’ across the food–energy–water nexus. “We find that shading by the PV panels provides multiple additive and synergistic benefits, including reduced plant drought stress, greater food production and reduced PV panel heat stress,”​ the researchers concluded. Their study found that tomatoes fruited twice as much in co-located agriculture and solar photovoltaic infrastructure as in an open field test plot. 

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As well as offering improved resilience to farms facing heat and water stress, Bullock-Sieger believes that co-locating food and energy production can serve another important function, helping farmers operating on all-too-thin margins boost profitability and diversify incomes.

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