Symbiosis refers to the interaction between different organisms living closely together, often benefiting both parties. Similarly, it also describes mutually advantageous relationships among individuals or groups. Based on this definition, a research team led by Cornell graduate student Henry Williams has discovered a symbiotic relationship between solar panels and agriculture. Their findings were published in the February 15 issue of *Applied Energy* under the title "The Potential of Agricultural Photovoltaic Power Generation to Enhance the Cooling of Solar Power Plants."
In this study, researchers developed a numerical model to explore the microclimate of solar power plants. This model evaluates how factors such as evaporative transpiration, panel height, and ground albedo influence crops and solar panels. These findings were then used to compare agricultural photovoltaic systems with conventional solar panel setups. The results indicate that in agricultural photovoltaic systems, crops can provide cooling effects of up to 10°C for solar panels.
In the study's abstract, the researchers noted:
"Human society stands at a pivotal juncture, where the swift adoption of renewable energy alternatives is essential to mitigate climate change impacts while addressing global energy needs. Meanwhile, by mid-century, agricultural output must increase significantly to feed the anticipated 10 billion people worldwide. These pressing food and energy demands have created a competition for land use between crops and energy production, particularly with solar photovoltaics. Coexisting agriculture and solar photovoltaics present an appealing solution, yet its widespread adoption has been hindered due to the belief that such coexistence leads to significant trade-offs between food and energy production."
"We investigated the potential of agricultural PV design characteristics to impact the microclimate of solar farms and the surface temperature of solar photovoltaic modules. We developed a CFD-based microclimate model and validated it against extensive experimental data to study the effects of panel height, ground albedo, and evaporation in solar PV sites."
"Our research reveals that the temperature of agricultural PV modules installed 4 meters high, with soybeans planted beneath them, decreases by 10°C compared to solar power plants on bare soil. These findings suggest that ground conditions and panel height play a crucial role in cooling solar power plants, and agricultural PV systems could help address the global food and energy crisis by boosting solar PV conversion efficiency while enabling agricultural production on the same land."
In a Cornell University blog post, Williams stated: "For the first time, we have a physics-based tool that estimates the costs and benefits of solar panels and commercial agriculture coexistence from the perspective of enhancing energy conversion efficiency and extending solar panel lifespan."
"Agricultural PV systems that combine agriculture and solar panels have the potential to offer more passive cooling through taller panel heights, more reflective ground covers, and higher evaporation rates than traditional solar farms," added Max Zhang, a professor and senior author from Cornell University’s Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. "We can generate renewable electricity while preserving farmland through agricultural PV systems."
For instance, in New York, approximately 40% of utility-scale solar farm capacity has been developed on agricultural land, while about 84% of agricultural land is considered suitable for utility-scale solar energy development, according to a prior study by Professor Zhang’s team.
By leveraging microclimate models based on computational fluid dynamics and solar panel temperature data, the team assessed the height of solar panels, the reflectivity of the ground, and the evaporation rate (the process by which water vapor rises from plants and soil). They discovered that agricultural photovoltaic systems could help resolve future global food and energy challenges.
Engineers reported that solar panels installed over vegetation exhibited a decrease in surface temperature compared to those constructed on exposed ground. When solar panels are mounted 4 meters above soybean crops, the temperature of the solar panels drops by 10 degrees Celsius compared to those placed half a meter above exposed soil.
According to the paper, the cooling effect caused by the evaporation of vegetation and soil and the enhancement of surface albedo is more pronounced than the cooling effect resulting from increasing panel height. Passive cooling improves the efficiency of solar panels compared to exposed soil or gravel. Furthermore, a reduction in temperature can prolong the lifespan of solar panels and boost long-term economic potential.
"When you lower the operating temperature of solar panels, you can increase efficiency and extend the life of the solar module," Williams explained. "We demonstrate the dual benefits—on one hand, farmers can produce more food; on the other, we’ve shown solar developers how to extend the life and increase the conversion efficiency."
According to the World Resources Institute, global food demand is expected to rise by 50% by 2050 to feed the population projected to reach 10 billion, making understanding this mutually beneficial concept critical for agricultural production. At the same time, the deployment of renewable energy must accelerate to counteract climate change impacts. In hot climates like those in the western United States, photovoltaic farms would be ideal.
"So far, most of the advantages of agricultural photovoltaic systems have centered around hot and arid climate zones," said Zhang, who is also director of the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainable Futures. "This paper takes a step toward evaluating the feasibility of agricultural photovoltaics in the Northeastern United States to alleviate the global land-use competition."
Farmers tend to avoid risks. Their institutional memory spans centuries, and they strongly prefer doing things the way they always have. However, as battery-powered tractors guided by autonomous systems start emerging, U.S. farms are evolving. Some groups oppose placing solar panels on farmland, believing it will lead to hunger and famine.
Clearly, not all farms should be converted into agricultural photovoltaic power plants. Not every crop can thrive under solar panels, but there are still many viable options. For example, tomatoes can benefit from the partial shade and cooler temperatures provided by solar panels, and farmers can profit from the extra income generated by solar panels.
A symbiotic relationship arises when two or more participants (in this case, farmers and crops) perform better when they collaborate. Today, we call it a win-win scenario. If it helps farmers increase their yields and profits, this is indeed a win-win situation.
(Original text from: Clean Technology Global Photovoltaic Network, New Energy Network Comprehensive)
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