<
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/10072025/agrivoltaic-solar-southwest-farmland/>
"“We were getting basil leaves the size of your palm,” University of Arizona
researcher Greg Barron-Gafford said, describing some of the benefits he and his
team have seen farming under solar panels in the Tucson desert.
For 12 years, Barron-Gafford has been investigating agrivoltaics, the
integration of solar arrays into working farmland. This practice involves
growing crops or other vegetation, such as pollinator-friendly plants, under
solar panels, and sometimes grazing livestock in this greenery. Though a
relatively new concept, at least 604 agrivoltaic sites have popped up across
the United States, according to OpenEI.
Researchers like Barron-Gafford think that, in addition to generating
carbon-free electricity, agrivoltaics could offer a ray of hope for agriculture
in an increasingly hotter and drier Southwest, as the shade created by these
systems has been found to decrease irrigation needs and eliminate heat stress
on crops. Plus, the cooling effects of growing plants under solar arrays can
actually make the panels work better.
But challenges remain, including some farmers’ attitudes about the practice and
funding difficulties."
Via Cheristoph S.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
