Scientists say land-preservation costs should be factored into agrivoltaics’ LCOE calculations
German researchers found that agrivoltaics costs far exceed agricultural benefits, raising doubts about subsidies and highlighting the need for more cost-competitive system designs.
Chemitek offers solution for drone-based cleaning of agrivoltaics
The Portuguese company said its new Drone AgroPV Cleaning Agent is scheduled for release in June. It has a safe formulation for crops and soil.
All agrivoltaic cropping systems at a glance
An international research team reviewed agrivoltaic systems, highlighting challenges in design, crop performance, and PV efficiency, while mapping their global potential. They call for innovative layouts, targeted crop selection, and improved modeling to maximize energy yield and land-use efficiency.
The impact of agrivoltaics on potato farming
New research from Italy has shown that agrivoltaic systems can reduce potato yield by up to 15% compared to full-light cropping. However, moderate early-season shading was found to delay soil-moisture depletion, extending biomass accumulation and improving water-use efficiency.
How to combine mechanized farming with agrivoltaics
An international study finds that successful agrivoltaic projects require farm-specific, holistic co-design that integrates PV layout with agricultural mechanization from the earliest planning stages. Without proper alignment between machinery, crops, and PV systems, agrivoltaics risk major land loss, lower field efficiency, and higher operating costs, undermining farm profitability.
PV could outcompete agriculture in Spain within 20 years
Scientists have analyzed the competition between photovoltaics and agriculture for land use in Spain by studying 134 different crops in 15 regions. Using a real options framework, they found that falling solar PV costs and high irradiance in southern Spain could make solar more profitable than farming by the mid-2040s, highlighting growing land-use competition.
Mirai Solar develops lightweight solar panel for agrivoltaics
While completing pilot projects in the U.S. and Europe, Mirai Solar has certified its lightweight PV module designed to work as a shade screen in agrivoltaics applications, such as greenhouses.
Rute SunTracker opening cattle grazing land to solar power
The company deploys first commercial tracking system with a 13-ft. clearance hardened against wind and beef.
Agrivoltaics for biomethane
Researchers in Italy have simulated an agrivoltaic-powered anaerobic digestion plant for biomethane production and optimized it across eight scenarios, using vertically mounted panels in some cases with one-axis tracker and with two-axis trackers in others.
Large-scale agrivoltaics come to Norway
Solar developer Energeia AS has been granted a license to build, own and operate a 46 MW agrivoltaic project in Norway, set to become the country’s largest solar site to date.
