It would be a great idea to produce solar energy & fulfill the electricity requirements of the farm at the same time. Global countries like America, Japan & France are leading the charge with research & development in place. This concept has become more attractive as the price of photovoltaic cells has plummeted in recent times & interest in solar energy has risen. Moreover, small farmers are witnessing growing financial pressures. Agrivoltaics, therefore, can prove to be a potential win-win.
Traditional Scenario of Solar Energy in Farms
Traditionally solar energy developers would turn to farms for their projects. Farm owners then either lease the property or sell them to the developer. With the topsoil stripped & solar panels were mounted on concrete footings that were embedded in the land. This was done to boost solar energy production. Eventually, this would weaken the productivity of food supply. This is the reason some countries have prohibited large scale solar developments in order to preserve land.
Agrivoltaics is about Dual Use of Farm Land
Dual use of farmhouses will be beneficial. Agrivoiltaics originated in Massachusetts in America in the year 2008. Folks there were determined to avoid interrupting agricultural use & yet develop solar energy. Lower ends of solar panels are raised seven feet from ground & rise to 15 feet in the air. Furthermore, they are spaced enough apart in order to allow sunlight to pass through to the fields below. They can also be shifted horizontally so that the gaps can be adjusted. What agricultural landowners really care about is their land & minimum soil disruption. For dairy farmers, agrivoltaic are no barriers at all.
How Far Can the Agrivoltaic Story Go
Present results suggest that vegetables like broccoli & peppers produce about 60% of volume compared to what they would under the full sun. Again the dual-use system offers about half solar power generation capacity compared to conventional solar power installations. Still, the combination generally pays off with lower crop productivity & lower solar power generation. By combining solar energy generation with farming farmers can earn extra income towards electricity bills. Excessive solar energy generation can be supplied to the grid as well. The concept is new but the level of interest from large scale developers is exciting.
Agrivoiltaics is Not for Everyone
Not every agricultural land will be able to benefit from agrivoltaics. Effort & costs involved may not make sense in some areas have plenty of non-agricultural space. Conventional solar energy generation will be the best way forward in such cases. The future of solar energy generation may include translucent panels & which would be a tremendous boost to agrivoltaics. Let us see if this is possible, we are looking forward to innovation.
About Intelizon
Intelizon intends to be world leaders in solar based products. It is a house of innovation. Zonpower solar house systems & Zonstreet outdoor lighting are the flagships of Intelizon which can be very helpful for agrivoltaics. Excessive solar power generated from farms can be diverted to the communities nearby. While Zonpower can lighten the homes of rural communities close to the farms, Zonstreet will brighten the streets in the nights. Both these are smart solar solutions which can be remotely monitored to suit a modern lifestyle. Imagine living a life with no electricity bills & no maintenance costs! This, in fact, is a win-win situation for all.
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