
Agriculture and energy are two of the most important resources for human survival, but they are also two of the biggest sources of environmental degradation. The problem of how to meet the growing demand for food and energy while protecting the environment has been a major challenge for years. But researchers may have found a solution that could help to meet these two goals in a more sustainable way.
Agrivoltaics, the process of growing crops underneath solar panels, is seen as a promising solution for more sustainable agriculture. By splitting the light spectrum, crops can receive the same amount of carbon dioxide with less water while being shielded from heat. This reduces the amount of water required for crops and also helps to reduce heat stress and crop wastage.
The researchers tested the idea by growing tomatoes under blue and red filters, as well as a control crop without any coverings. Although the yield for the covered plots was about a third less than the control, the latter had around twice the amount of rotten tomatoes. The filters helped to reduce heat stress and crop wastage.
For this approach to work in practice, manufacturers would need to develop translucent solar panels that capture blue light and allow red light to pass through. Matteo Camporese, an associate professor at the University of Padova in Italy and lead author of a paper on the topic, suggested that translucent, carbon-based organic solar cells could work. These cells could be applied onto surfaces such as glass.
However, there are other issues that need to be addressed, including the fact that wavelength-selective agrivoltaic systems may need to account for different crop types. Harvesting those crops efficiently might require some out-of-the-box thinking too.
“We cannot feed 2 billion more people in 30 years by being just a little more water-efficient and continuing as we do,” said Majdi Abou Najm, an associate professor at University of California, Davis’ department of land, air and water resources. “We need something transformative, not incremental. If we treat the sun as a resource, we can work with shade and generate electricity while producing crops underneath. Kilowatt hours become a secondary crop you can harvest.”
In conclusion, the potential of agrivoltaics is huge, and the idea of splitting the light spectrum to grow crops and produce solar energy at the same time is a promising solution for a more sustainable future. With a growing global population, it’s important to consider different approaches to using our resources more productively.