Researchers from the University of Florence in Italy have analyzed the impact of an agrivoltaic facility on potato farming through a modeling framework combining PV power production, high-resolution shading mapping, process-based biomass growth and economic analysis.
“In this paper, we did not carry out a dedicated field measurement campaign with pyranometers or under-row PAR sensors on an actual system for the case study,” the research's corresponding author, Andrea Ademollo, told pv magazine. “Instead, shading was modeled using a deterministic geometric approach at 5-minute intervals, based on system geometry and solar position. This method ensures physical consistency, as it accounts for footprint variations with tilt, azimuth, and solar geometry while providing high spatial resolution.”
“The indirect consistency of the workflow was verified by comparing the modeled yield reductions with experimental data reported in the literature for potatoes under temperate European conditions at similar shading levels. Additionally, open-field yields were cross-checked against national benchmarks,” he went on to say.
Join us on March 5 for the Dual harvest, double trouble: Tackling EPC barriers in agrivoltaics design pv magazine session in English language at KEY – The Energy Transition Expo in Rimini. Experts will share insights on current agrivoltaic technologies, key design choices and the main barriers to standardized, scalable dual‑use projects in Europe and Italy, including region‑specific EPC issues. In the study “Policy-constrained agrivoltaics in Italy: a potato case study linking shading, crop and economics,” which was recently published in Applied Energy, Ademollo and colleagues analyzed a 1 MW open-stilted agrivoltaic plant installed on a potato field in Sesto Fiorentino, near Florence. The simulated system was assumed to occupy 40% of the site and uses 2 m × 1 m monocrystalline modules with 19% efficiency and 400 W output, mounted 3 m above the ground at a 30° tilt and 5 m inter-row spacing. The team performed high-resolution shading simulations at 5-minute intervals with a 13 cm × 6.5 cm spatial resolution and analyzed an 18-year record of growing-season meteorological data, from 1 March, sowing, to physiological maturity, to assess long-term potato yields under the agrivoltaic system and a conventional ground-mounted PV benchmark. Results showed that direct irradiance beneath panels can drop by up to 55% during the growing season, leading to potato yields roughly 15% lower than full-light cropping. However, moderate early-season shading was found to delay soil-moisture depletion, extending biomass accumulation and improving water-use efficiency. “With reduced radiation, the soil and canopy heat up less, lowering evaporative demand,” Ademollo explained. “As a result, plants lose less water compared to open-field conditions. Lower water stress extends the production cycle: plants experience stressful conditions later, maintaining good water status longer, which delays senescence and prolongs the period during which the crop intercepts radiation and accumulates biomass.” He added, “Moderate shading can be beneficial by reducing water stress, whereas intense or prolonged shading typically limits photosynthesis and reduces yield. In our case study, a ‘moderately shaded’ area showed a slight local increase in yield, but on a per-hectare basis, average agrivoltaic yields remain below open-field levels.” The simulations also indicated a land equivalent ratio of 1.58, reflecting substantial land-use efficiency. The techno-economic analysis found that the agrivoltaic system had a levelized cost of energy of €0.084 ($0.099)/kWh, compared to €0.061/kWh for a conventional ground-mounted PV system at the same site. On abandoned farmland with 70% electricity self-consumption, the agrivoltaic facility was also found to achieve a 13% internal rate of return (10-year payback) versus 21 % (6-year payback) for ground-mounted PV. On conventional farmland, reduced crop revenue losses helped narrow this gap. “When self-consumption is low, more electricity is sold to the grid at lower rates, reducing profitability,” Ademollo concluded. “Our analysis shows that moving from high to low self-consumption significantly lowers performance indicators and lengthens the payback period.” “Future research should integrate a micrometeorology submodule to capture under-panels air and soil temperatures,” he added.
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