The Case for Agrivoltaic Systems

Interest in the Food-Energy-Water nexus as a meta-systems approach is motivated, in part, to find technologies, practices and innovations that maximize net benefits and minimize net harms across the three system pillars. Ideal approaches that are steeped in nexus thinking will have simultaneous benefits to food, energy and water security. Agrivoltaic systems achieve this ideal. Agrivoltiac systems co-locate renewable energy production and agricultural production for mutual benefit. Solar panels harvest harmful solar excess, leaving crops less stressed, more productive and more efficient as a result. Growing crops cool the microclimate around the solar panels, increasing their efficiency. Three years of field measurements will be presented that demonstrate the improved agricultural productivity, water use efficiency and energy productivity. Gains as high as 90% increases in biomass production, 350% increase in water use efficiency, and 10% increase in power production arise as a consequence of combining agricultural and energy production at the same site. The potential impact of agrivoltaic adoption on water energy and food security will be explored.