Publication Type
Journal Article
Publication Date (Issue Year)
2023
Journal Name
Processes
Abstract
Agrivoltaic systems, which consist of the combination of energy production by means of photovoltaic systems and agricultural production in the same area, have emerged as a promising solution to the constraints related to the reduction in cultivated areas due to solar panels used in agricultural production systems. They also enable optimization of land use and reduction in conflicts over land access, in order to meet the increasing demand for agricultural products and energy resulting from rapid population growth. However, the selected installation configurations, such as elevation, spacing, tilt, and choice of panel technology used, can have a negative impact on agricultural and/or energy production. Thus, this paper addresses the need for a review that provides a clear explanation of agrivoltaics, including the factors that impact agricultural and energy production in agrivoltaic systems, types of panel configurations and technologies to optimize these systems, and a synthesis of modelling studies which have already been conducted in this area. Several studies have been carried out in this field to find the appropriate mounting height and spacing of the solar panels that optimize crop yields, as this later can be reduced by the shade created with the solar panels on the plants. It was reported that yields have been reduced by 62% to 3% for more than 80% of the tested crops. To this end, an optimization model can be developed to determine the optimal elevation, spacing, and tilt angle of the solar panels. This model would take into account factors that influence crop growth and yield, as well as factors that affect the performance of the photovoltaic system, with the goal of maximizing both crop yield and energy production.
Keywords
energy-water-agriculture nexus, agrivoltaics, combined model, optimization, arrangement, yields
Rsif Scholar Name
Aminata Sarr
Thematic Area
Energy including Renewables
Africa Host University (AHU)
Institut International D'ingénierie De L'eau Et De L'environnement (2iE), Burkina Faso
Funding Statement
Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund/Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (Rsif/PASET) for supporting us through- out this study
Recommended Citation
Sarr, A., Soro, Y., Tossa, A., & Diop, L. (2023). Agrivoltaic, a Synergistic Co-Location of Agricultural and Energy Production in Perpetual Mutation: A Comprehensive Review. Processes, 11 (3), 948. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11030948