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Is it possible for solar panels to be semi-transparent so crops can still thrive underneath?

philipkglass 3y ago
Yes it is: https://www.pv-magazine.com/2021/07/02/transparent-solar-panels-for-agrivoltaics/ https://www.pv-magazine.com/2021/07/02/transparent-solar-pan... “Combining two usage modes based on Insolight’s optical micro-tracking technology, these modules focus light on high-efficiency solar cells,” Insolight said in a press release. “When aligned, the optical system can generate energy (E-MODE), but it is also possible to unalign it to ‘leak’ the light (MLT-MODE). The solar modules therefore act like a ‘smart’ shade adjusting the amount of light they let through.” This makes it possible to optimize the photosynthesis of plants during the seasons and reduce the negative impact of high summer heat on the yields and quality of agricultural products, while recovering the rest of the light in the form of electricity. Starting from July, the panels will be tested for four years on a 165-square-meter surface area. They will replace protective plastic tunnels on strawberries and raspberries. “Dynamically adjusting the light transmitted to the plants paves the way for increased protection from climate variations and possible increases in crop yields thanks to the matching of the light to the needs of the plants and the lowering of the temperature during heat waves via the shading effect,” said Bastien Christ, head of the berries and medicinal plants group at Agroscope. A similar project using different module technology: https://www.pv-magazine.com/2023/10/31/baywa-re-starts-building-agrivoltaic-project-in-france/ https://www.pv-magazine.com/2023/10/31/baywa-re-starts-build...
jiggawatts 3y ago
That's not needed, just have gaps between the panels so they provide partial shade. Many food crops can't tolerate "full sun" well, and will grow perfectly fine even with partial illumination.
dralley 3y ago
The logistics of trying to plant, maintain and harvest crops underneath a bunch of solar panels while also needing to deal with the subsequent issues of uneven runoff of water from rain make it seem impractical. Just cover parking lots, malls and supermarkets with them, we have plenty of those, and they're closer to where the electricity is needed than agricultural land.
- gridspy 3y ago
  We absolutely should cover those, but there is a lot of farmland. There may not be enough "mall-land"
  - sandworm101 3y ago
    Well, when i see solar panels atop every mall and commercial building, when every home has a solar roof, then i'll entertain chopping down wilderness or sacrificing farmland to the cause. I still see plent of bare rooftop to address first.
    - verve_rat 3y ago
      Well good job it's not your decision to make then. If the economic benefits of adding solar to their farm outweighs the costs then farmers will start adding them to farms.
    - angiosperm 3y ago
      Literally nobody proposes "sacrificing" farmland.
      - jubjubbird 3y ago
        I'm looking at a legal agreement on my desk to lease 120 acres of productive eastern Nebraska farmland to build a commercial scale solar project. The land would be taken out of production ("sacrificed") for the 50 year lease, with payments about twice what the land leases for for agriculture (soybeans).
      - sandworm101 3y ago
        It is very common. Farming is hard, margins slim at best. And farmers are given great leeway in how they may make money from land. Regulation is lax. Many fields have been turned from the production of food to the production of electricity, while countless factory rooftops sit covered only in tar and asphalt.
    - 3y ago

Yes it is: https://www.pv-magazine.com/2021/07/02/transparent-solar-panels-for-agrivoltaics/ https://www.pv-magazine.com/2021/07/02/transparent-solar-pan... “Combining two usage modes based on Insolight’s optical micro-tracking technology, these modules focus light on high-efficiency solar cells,” Insolight said in a press release. “When aligned, the optical system can generate energy (E-MODE), but it is also possible to unalign it to ‘leak’ the light (MLT-MODE). The solar modules therefore act like a ‘smart’ shade adjusting the amount of light they let through.” This makes it possible to optimize the photosynthesis of plants during the seasons and reduce the negative impact of high summer heat on the yields and quality of agricultural products, while recovering the rest of the light in the form of electricity. Starting from July, the panels will be tested for four years on a 165-square-meter surface area. They will replace protective plastic tunnels on strawberries and raspberries. “Dynamically adjusting the light transmitted to the plants paves the way for increased protection from climate variations and possible increases in crop yields thanks to the matching of the light to the needs of the plants and the lowering of the temperature during heat waves via the shading effect,” said Bastien Christ, head of the berries and medicinal plants group at Agroscope. A similar project using different module technology: https://www.pv-magazine.com/2023/10/31/baywa-re-starts-building-agrivoltaic-project-in-france/ https://www.pv-magazine.com/2023/10/31/baywa-re-starts-build...

jiggawatts 3y ago

That's not needed, just have gaps between the panels so they provide partial shade. Many food crops can't tolerate "full sun" well, and will grow perfectly fine even with partial illumination.

dralley 3y ago

The logistics of trying to plant, maintain and harvest crops underneath a bunch of solar panels while also needing to deal with the subsequent issues of uneven runoff of water from rain make it seem impractical. Just cover parking lots, malls and supermarkets with them, we have plenty of those, and they're closer to where the electricity is needed than agricultural land.

gridspy 3y ago
We absolutely should cover those, but there is a lot of farmland. There may not be enough "mall-land"
- sandworm101 3y ago
  Well, when i see solar panels atop every mall and commercial building, when every home has a solar roof, then i'll entertain chopping down wilderness or sacrificing farmland to the cause. I still see plent of bare rooftop to address first.
  - verve_rat 3y ago
    Well good job it's not your decision to make then. If the economic benefits of adding solar to their farm outweighs the costs then farmers will start adding them to farms.
  - angiosperm 3y ago
    Literally nobody proposes "sacrificing" farmland.
    - jubjubbird 3y ago
      I'm looking at a legal agreement on my desk to lease 120 acres of productive eastern Nebraska farmland to build a commercial scale solar project. The land would be taken out of production ("sacrificed") for the 50 year lease, with payments about twice what the land leases for for agriculture (soybeans).
    - sandworm101 3y ago
      It is very common. Farming is hard, margins slim at best. And farmers are given great leeway in how they may make money from land. Regulation is lax. Many fields have been turned from the production of food to the production of electricity, while countless factory rooftops sit covered only in tar and asphalt.
  - 3y ago