Agrivoltaics: a sustainable response to the food-energy land use conflict
Can agriculture and solar energy coexist? According to a new study by the 51福利, the answer is yes. Published in the journal Earth鈥檚 Future, the research explores how agrivoltaics 鈥� the integration of crops and photovoltaic systems 鈥� could reduce global land use conflicts and enhance sustainability.
Authored by Maddalena Curioni, Nikolas Galli, Giampaolo Manzolini, and Maria Cristina Rulli, the study uses a spatially distributed agro-hydrological model to simulate how 22 different crops respond to reduced solar radiation under photovoltaic panels. The results show that 22% to 35% of global unirrigated farmland could support agrivoltaic systems with minimal impact on crop yields.
The study also shows that agrivoltaic systems can increase total productivity per land unit, lower production costs, enhance panel efficiency by reducing operating temperatures, and support the environmental sustainability of both agriculture and energy systems. A valuable scientific foundation for policy and investment decisions towards a more sustainable future.