Yash
Agrivoltaics is a solution that lets farmers enjoy the benefits of solar in agriculture.
Our India is a sun-rich country that receives an average of over 5 Peak Sun Hours daily.
It has an agriculture-based economy.
Over 2/3 of the population depends on agriculture and its related activities for their livelihood.
Also, India is one of the leading exporters of agricultural products in the world.
But
farming is sensitive to climate change.
Droughts, higher temperatures, and heatwaves put stress on the crops.
Also, this creates water scarcity, reduces their yield and the plant dies.
Climate change harms crops, threatening food security around the world.
Combining solar power with agriculture is an innovative solution.
This combination controls and mitigates the effect of climate change on crops.
Before knowing the benefits of using solar in agriculture, let us understand the concept of Agrivoltaics in detail.
Agrivoltaics: Combination of solar power with agriculture
An arrangement where both solar power generation and agricultural activities co-exist.
In this, the solar array is mounted to such a height (usually 10 feet above the crops).
In this way, it does not affect routine farming activities.
The crops need sunlight to grow.
And
How plants or crops would grow when solar panels shade them?
Yes, they need sunlight to make food and grow.
(This process is called photosynthesis; absorbing sunlight and making food)
But some plants do not need too much sunlight.
Vegetables like lettuce, chard, spinach, peppers, carrots, peas, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, turnip, parsley, brinjal, bottle gourd can grow well in partial shade.
Hence can be benefitted from Agrivoltaics.
The solar arrays are installed in a way that the crops or the plants receive the optimum amount of sunlight, sufficient enough to grow them naturally.
The farmers can implement Agrivoltaics on their farms.
And can take the benefit of solar in their agriculture activities in several ways.
Benefits of solar in agriculture
- Solar Power is affordable and clean
- Checks extra water demand by the plants
- Increased crop production
- More power from solar panels
- It checks carbon emissions
- The economic value of land increases
- Reduced electricity bill through Net-Metering
- It will create local jobs
i) Solar Power is affordable and clean
Running electrical appliances on-grid power is now a costly affair.
Because electricity prices are rising.
The solar power system produces smooth and free electricity for decades.
In the daytime, solar power can run water pumps and other farming-related electrical machinery.
The farmers can also run their home appliances in case the home is in the vicinity of the fields.
The solar panels are strong, durable, and have a long life of over 25 years.
They need little maintenance post-installation.
Yes, it is an investment that offers attractive returns.
In short, the solar power system is a good choice for the daytime energy needs of farmers.
ii) Checks extra water demand by the plants
Plants produce carbohydrates and oxygen by absorbing carbon-di-oxide and water in the presence of sunlight.
This process is called Photosynthesis. It helps the plant to grow and mature.
The rate of photosynthesis is directly proportional to the amount of sunlight.
Until a maximum point is reached called the “Light saturation Point”.
Thereafter, a further increase in the light intensity does not facilitate the photosynthesis process.
Instead, it put stress on the plant and demands more water.
The solar panels’ partial shade saves the plant from scorching heat.
Therefore, curtailing the extra water demand.
iii) Solar power in agriculture leads to increased crop production
Agrivoltaics help in conserving water in the soil.
And it has a long-term positive effect on the soil and the crop.
When water remains in the soil, its nutrient value will remain intact.
Which it passes to the plant and facilitates its growth.
Hence growing seasons are extended and we see increased production.
iii) More solar power from panels
The output of the solar panels starts decreasing when the cell temperature rises beyond 25°C.
Interesting read: Best solar panels for hot climate
The plants and the moist soil under the solar panels help in controlling this temperature rise.
(The loss of moisture from the soil is evaporation and water loss from plants is called transpiration).
The water vapors produced from evapotranspiration (evaporation + transpiration), surround the nearby atmosphere and lower the temperature.
And
Solar panels produce more current in cooler conditions.
Therefore, it is a win-win situation, with more electricity, and more production.
iv) Check carbon emissions
Climate change is a global problem that needs immediate attention.
Governments around the world are finding innovative ways to cut carbon emissions.
And solar power is one of them.
Solar power is a clean source of energy.
Because it does not pollute the environment.
While the traditional sources of power generation emit carbon emissions in the air.
That leads to temperature rise.
v) The economic value of land
This dual-use of land has more economic value than the lands used only for traditional agriculture.
vi) The facility of Net-Metering
The extrasolar units generated by the system are fed the grid through a net meter.
Net-metering is an arrangement that connects the solar power system with the grid supply through a meter.
The farmer is charged on the net units consumed.
After deducting the extrasolar units fed to the grid.
Net Units Consumed = (Total Units Consumed from the grid) – (extrasolar units fed to the grid)
Hence, her/his electricity bill is reduced.
vii) It will create local jobs
It will create demand for solar installers, electricians, fitters, and many more.
This will give a boost to the local economy.
Disadvantages of combining solar with agriculture
i) Extra space
The solar power system requires additional space and the right mounting structure.
Therefore, farmers who are already short of land and want to adopt agrivoltaics, need to sacrifice some of their productive lands in installing the system.
ii) Feasible for shade-tolerant crops
The crops like wheat, jowar, and millets require full sunshine to grow (5-6 ft in height).
Therefore, the economies of agrivoltaics are not feasible in this case.
Moreover, only shade-tolerant crops or plants can be cultivated in Agrivoltaics.
And they are only a small fraction of overall agricultural products in India.
iii) Fencing
We need fences to protect the solar panels and their wiring from animals adds extra cost.
iv) High initial investment
Although installing a solar power system is a profitable venture.
But it requires a good amount of investment that refrains farmers from adopting agrivoltaics.
v) Weeding is difficult
Farmers burn their fields to remove weeds to prevent diseases before sowing new crops.
And
burning may damage solar panels, and electrical wirings, and can lead to electrical fires.
v) Costly in flood-prone farmlands
Some areas and farmlands are susceptible to floods.
Therefore, the solar panels are installed above the projected flood level.
In order to prevent them from flooding.
This increases the installation cost.
And hence negatively impact the financial feasibility of the system.
vi) Dust
The solar panels are installed outside on the farmland.
There is a likelihood that you see more dust on the panels, affecting their output.
Read: Best solar panels for rural areas
vii) Plowing becomes difficult
It is difficult to plow the land using tractors under the solar panels.
Therefore solar panels are installed on the periphery or on non-arable land.
viii) Repairing
Solar power is one of the easiest technologies in terms of functioning.
But one cannot repair the fault in the system oneself.
He needs a qualified person to rectify the fault, adding extra maintenance costs.
Conclusion
India has one of the largest arable lands in the world, and it is a sunshine country.
It has all the reasons to adopt agrivoltaics on the large scale.
Also, to reduce carbon emissions, we need more solar power installations across the country.
And agrivoltaics could be one of the solutions.
That can help to reach the climate goals of the states in the country.
Agrivoltaics can provide the dynamic solution that has triple benefits of using solar in agriculture:
- Conserving water –> resolving the problem of water scarcity
- Providing clean electricity –> cutting carbon emissions –> controlling global warming
- Increased production –> More Profit –> Financial stability
- Its large-scale implementation will create a sustainable environment for farmers.
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