Agrivoltaics - A Study on Feasibility and Best-Use Cases

In order to achieve net zero emissions and slow global warming, a shift to renewable energy must be made. Photovoltaics projects on the utility-scale have grown to meet this need, and while they offer a clean source of energy, utility-scale solar also has its own unique set of challenges. The scale of projects and accompanying land disturbance from utility-scale solar has negative effects on the agricultural industry or biodiversity, depending on where the project is built. Agrivoltaics, the combination of agriculture and photovoltaics, offers a solution to these issues by making the land multi-functional or reducing the impact land-clearing for photovoltaics has. Agrivoltaics can be split into three types, crop-based, where crops are grown underneath panels, pollinator-friendly, where habitat and biodiversity is restored within the solar project, or grazing-based, where livestock graze under the solar infrastructure. The feasibility of each type was explored in this study, as well as the best-use cases for each. A series of seven in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with subject matter experts on each type of agrivoltaics and utility-scale solar, which determined that pollinator-friendly and grazing-based agrivoltaics are the most feasible on a utility-scale solar site. Experts agreed there is no one solution for agrivoltaics, and that the best option to improve a solar project will be dependent on location and previous land-use. Currently, the best-use case for crop-based agrivoltaics was determined to be on a small scale, with crops that benefit from the shade, and in arid and semi-arid regions. Pollinator-friendly agrivoltaics finds its best-use on any solar site where native plants can grow. Pollinator-friendly can be implemented with varying degrees of execution, from full habitat restoration to small sections of native plants around the solar array. Finally, grazing-based agrivoltaics is best implemented when the cost to do traditional vegetation management is comparable and the location is suitable for livestock. In the future, cattle grazing-based agrivoltaics could be implemented on large cattle ranches. Overall, research suggests that agrivoltaics is a good solution for reducing the negative effects of utility-scale solar.